4:55pm Monday 26th July 2010
A try from Whitgift School’s Elliot Daly wasn’t enough to prevent England U18s’ three-year unbeaten record from ending with a 23-17 defeat to South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
England scored three tries to their hosts one, with Mark Jennings and Tommy Bell also going over.
But, despite dominating the game, they failed to put away some clear-cut chances and were punished by a dogged South Africa side who scored a try through Free State centre Paul Jordaan with fly half Johan Goosen kicking five penalties and Jordaan one.
Although the result ended a winning run of 19 internationals stretching back to July 2007, head coach John Fletcher was still upbeat at the end of a tour in which England beat Namibia 35-10 and France 66-19, scoring 18 tries in their three games.
“We just lacked precision and although we scored three tries to one we left a couple of straightforward ones out there and that’s hard to take,” said Fletcher.
“You couldn’t fault us for effort and we had enough ball and enough chances to score but that’s how it goes.
“Our lads are very upset and it shows how much they care about the loss but we’ll all move on and they will learn from it which is the important thing. It’s been a great trip and they’ve conducted themselves brilliantly.”
Goosen kicked two penalties in the opening 15 minutes and a third shortly before the break with a Jennings try and Bell conversion leaving England trailing 9-7 at half time.
They clicked into gear early in the second half with Bell scoring in the corner and Daly’s touchdown opening up a 17-9 lead going into the final 15 minutes.
England were judged to have lost the ball twice over the line by referee Pieter de Villiers and had a third chance ruled out by the TMO at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Jordaan kicked a fourth penalty for the Baby Boks and broke away for the solo try that levelled the scores before Goosen struck from 45 and 50 metres inside the last five minutes.
England Under 18: Ben Ransom (Tonbridge & Saracens); Mark Jennings (Lymm HS & Sale Sharks), Elliot Daly (Whitgift & London Wasps), Tommy Bell (Bacup & Rawtenstall GS & Sale Sharks), Charlie Walker (Oakham & Harlequins); Joel Hodgson (RGS Newcastle & Newcastle Falcons), Dan Robson (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby); Nick Auterac (Oaklands College & Saracens), Koree Britton (Ivybridge College & Gloucester Rugby), Anthony Brennan (Twyford C of E & London Wasps), George Merrick (Whitgift & Harlequins), Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry's GS, Otley & Leeds Carnegie), Will Skuse (Bryanston & Bath Rugby), Chris Walker (Prince Henry's GS, Otley & Leeds Carnegie, captain), Billy Vunipola (Harrow & London Wasps, vice captain) Replacements: Nathan Moris (Sedbergh & Newcastle Falcons), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs), Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins), Will Spencer (St Paul's Catholic & Bath Rugby), Sam Northcote-Green (Dulwich College & London Wasps), Henry Slade (Plymouth College & Exeter Chiefs), Sam Hill (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (St George's College, Weybridge & London Irish).
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