Match Report: Northampton Saints under-18s 19, London Irish under-18s 27

London Irish was confirmed as the 2022/23 Premiership Rugby Under-18 Academy League champions with a 27-19 victory over Northampton Saints.

The junior Exiles had to work with immense effort throughout, Rory Taylor’s penalty kick the hammer blow to Saints with the game’s last action as the advantage for Irish stood at a mere five points.

Tries from Louie Heard, Kepueli Tuipulotu, Finn Worley Brady and George Goodridge contributed to the famous win for the Exiles, earning back the title they won in 2016 and 2020.

The Exiles had the upper hand at the first set-piece, forcing a Saints collapse but after going for touch, a knock-on reversed possession in favour of the Midlanders.

Saints would get their noses in front via Henry Pollock, the rapid flanker showing his speed down the right edge with a conversion from Ben Radnor.

Unsettled play in midfield would allow both teams opportunities to break defensive lines, George Staveley kicking a loose ball and enter the red zone but there was nothing doing in the following moments after.

Saints would double their advantage after working off the back of a put-in, spreading the ball wide to find full-back Toby Cousins who ran in from just outside the 22.

Irish knew something had to give, and a loose collection of the subsequent restart afforded Ralph McEachran a storming run to enter the 22.

Whilst Saints won the ball back at the breakdown, Louie Heard nabbed the ball in contact from just five metres out to dot down unopposed to reduce the deficit to seven once more.

Irish started to show their famed running threat, Sam Rockley beating two defenders before offloading to Ben Frampton and Irish gained another red zone entry.

Working through the phases the ball was located in the grasp off Kepueli Tuipulotu, who, from just inside the 22 this time, stormed through the heart off the opposing rearguard to touch down under the posts, Heard converting this time to level proceedings.

Irish began to purr, Saints under the cosh and unable to breach into the Exiles half as a sumptuous kick for touch from Heard and a jackal turnover from captain Fin Worley Brady keeping them pinned back.

The East Midlands outfit eventually would poke holes through the Irish reaguard, Pollock the instigator again but scramble recoveries from the Boys in Green would be employed to answer Saints’ slick handling.

Tuipulotu would come in clutch when required on his own whitewash to get over the ball to relieve the pressure point created by Saints, his side really fronting up to close out the half.

Penalties against Northampton at the maul and scrum laid the platform for an attempt at a third try, but a spill in an attempt offload in contact led to a scrum on the five metre line.

An excellent contest at the first scrum, which won the ball back for Irish, led to their own put-in where they would earn a free-kick and tap and go – Worley Brady the man to take Irish into an advantage before the break.

There was still time for a Northampton assault, but they were met by the might of Tuipulotu and his defensive breakdown prowess, jackalling to close out the first 35 minutes for Irish.

The reply from Saints after the break came from Sol Moody, scoring off the back of a rolling maul with Radnor slotting the extras to bring back a level scoreline.

A forced spillage on Saints meant Jack Pattinson’s side could flex their set-piece dominance on another occasion, earning a penalty at the set-piece and again in the loose as the Exiles went for touch but were held up after a catch-and-drive.

It was phase play that had to be the west Londoners’ best asset when attacking the whitewash, replacement George Goodridge working around the fringes to score the fourth of the evening for his team.

The well supported Exiles were spurred on at the StoneX Stadium at every moment, winning another scrum penalty but after choosing to go for the posts, the attempt fell short.

The pressure really began to ramp up after a Radnor linebreak, but Tayo Adegbemile’s workrate over the ball meant time off the ball was minimal as the game approached the final 15 minutes.

One of Saints’ first ventures into the Irish half since their score to open the second half came off the back of Irish being pinged for an offside penalty, but when the Exiles formed a maul their opposition couldn’t uphold, Irish had another scrum.

The dying embers of the match saw Irish really show their want for the title, winning the territory battle with searing gain line breaking carries and overturning the ball with another creation of a maul that Saints couldn’t match.

A five-point cushion is what the Exiles were working with as the tie approached the 70^th minute, Northampton winning the favour of the referee both at a maul and scrum to progress up the field with quick ball.

Excellent cover from Theo Williamson and McEachran put the oncoming barrage offense into touch in a clutch defensive contribution, vice-captain Cam Ellis jackalling the ball back for Irish too for another!

As Saints were penalised for going off their feet, replacement Rory Taylor finished off the game with a place kick to seal the Exiles’ under-18s at the 2022/23 Academy League champions!

 

Score sequence (London Irish second): 5-0, 7-0, 12-0, 12-5, 12-10, 12-12, 12-17, 12-19, 17-19, 19-19, 19-24, 19-27

Northampton Saints: Tries: Pollock (4), Cousins (12), Moody (37); Conversions: Radnor (5) (38).

London Irish: Tries: Heard (14), Tuipulotu (19), Worley Brady (35), Goodridge (45); Conversions: Heard (20) (35); Penalties: Taylor (70).

 

Northampton Saints:

15 Toby Cousins, 14 Jacob Wilmott, 13 Harry Simpson, 12 Ollie Saddleton, 11 Ben Radnor, 10 Rory Hollis, 9 Archie McParland; 1 Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway, 2 Sol Moody, 3 Will Lamprell, 4 Aiden Kabi, 5 Henri Burditt, 6 Mart van der Veen, 7 Henry Pollock (c), 8 Ollie Holliday.

Replacements

16 Robert Gaffan, 17 Oliver Scola, 18 Tom Dye, 19 Ashton Webb, 20 Alfie Hoyles, 21 Billy Pasco, 22 Max Allman-Ward, 23 Ben Agebnu.

 

London Irish:

15 Ben Frampton (Wellington College), 14 Theo Williamson (Bishop Wand), 13 George Staveley (Wellington College), 12 Cameron Ellis (Harrow), 11 Sam Rockley (Bishop Wand), 10 Louie Heard (Bishop Wand), 9 Connor Peters (Berkhamsted);1 Ralph McEachran (Bishop Wand), 2 Kepueli Tuipulotu (Harrow), 3 Brandon Vince (Bishop Wand), 4 Mario Ikumola-Andre (Bishop Wand), 5 Ciaran Brickley (London Oratory), 6 Tayo Adegbemile (St Albans), 7 Finn Worley-Brady (Bishop Wand, captain), 8 Jack Lee (Millfield).

Replacements

16 George Goodridge (Bishop Wand), 17 Ralph Hawker (Wellington College), 18 Philip Truscott (Harrow), 19 Edward Bachelor (Bishop Wand), 20 Sam Lee (RGS High Wycombe), 21 Noah Cowan (Stowe), 22 Rory Taylor (Wellington College), 23 Charlie Griffin (Harrow).