The Anglo-Welsh Cup returned this weekend, with youngsters getting their big chance to shine once again.
There were a number of recent school leavers involved, as well as several current schoolboy layers, including Merchant Taylors’ Will Porter, who was on the bent for Wasps.
One of the big games of the weekend was a big derby in the South West as Bath and Gloucester played out a 17-17 draw. Both sides featured a number of exciting young players, Bath gave Harry Davies his debut, while Millfield leaver Josh Bayliss was on the bench. Gloucester’s bench included Mat Protheroe, one of the most exciting young players in the country.
Exeter Chiefs enjoyed a fine 52-5 win over Wasps, with Michele Campagnaro starring. Their side was packed with exciting youngsters, including Exeter College’s Joe Snow, while Wasps included England U20’s Jacob Umaga at fly half.
Perhaps the most hotly anticipated game of the weekend was the East Midlands derby, Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints. Will Evans, on the day of his 20th birthday, crossed the whitewash as he helped his side to a 27-20 over their great rivals, who had actually picked a fairly experienced team.
Of course the key to the Cup is the Anglo-Welsh aspect of it. The Opsreys certainly enjoyed that as they secured a 20-14 victory over Bristol. Bath bound Sam Underhill started for the Welshmen at openside, as he continues to make his case to be involved in England’s summer tour.
Newcastle leveled the Anglo-Welsh score at 1-1 as they beat Newport Gwent Dragons 18-6, they had a more experienced side than their Welsh rivals, who included Harrison Keddie, a star of Wales’ U20 Grand Slam, at number 8.
Sale Sharks grabbed another win for the English against their Welsh rivals as they beat Cardiff Blues 41-3. Sale included Tom Curry on the flank, with twin brother Ben, James Mitchell, and George Nott among those on the bench.
Saracens made it 3-1 in the Anglo-Welsh fixtures in favour of the English as they beat Scarlets 32-17. Saracens gave Haileybury leaver Nick Isiekwe a start in the second row, with Max Malins being handed his debut to start at fly half.
Harlequins and Worcester played out a real thriller at Sixways, with Quins taking home the spoils after a 28-22 victory. Experience was the name of the game for Quins, though former Enlgland U20 full back Aaron Morris got a start, with former U20 World Player of the year, James Chisholm, starting at blindside.
Anglo-Welsh Cup Results:
Bath 17-17 Gloucester
Exeter Chiefs 52-5 Wasps
Leicester Tigers 27-20 Northampton Saints
Ospreys 20-14 Bristol
Newport Gwent Dragons 6-18 Newcastle Falcons
Sale Sharks 41-3 Cardiff Blues
Scarlets 17-32 Saracens
Worcester Warriors 22-28 Harlequins
Team News
Bath
15 Harry Davies, 14 Jeff Williams, 13 Jack Wilson, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Aled Brew, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook, 1 Beno Obano, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Shaun Knight, 4 Levi Douglas, 5 Tom Ellis, 6 David Sisi, 7 Guy Mercer (c), 8 Paul Grant.
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Will Homer, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Max Clark.
Gloucester
15 Tom Marshall, 14 David Halaifonua, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Andy Symons, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 James Hook, 9 Callum Braley (c), 1 Yann Thomas, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 3 Paul Doran-Jones, 4 Joe Batley, 5 Joe Latta, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Dan Thomas, 8 Freddie Clarke.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Salesi Ma’afu, 19 Tom Denton, 20 Will Safe, 21 Ben Vellacott, 22 Lloyd Evans, 23 Mat Protheroe.
Exeter Chiefs
15 Lachie Turner, 14 Max Bodilly, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Sam Hill, 11 James Short, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Stuart Townsend, 1 Carl Rimmer, 2 Shaun Malton, 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Mitch Lees, 5 Damian Welch, 6 Sam Skinner (c), 7 Ben White, 8 Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Moray Low, 18 Jack Owlett, 19 Geoff Parling, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Joe Snow, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Matt Jess.
Wasps
15 Piers O’Conor, 14 Guy Armitage, 13 Nick De Luca (c), 12 Brendan Macken, 11 Tom Howe, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Craig Hampson, 1 Tom Bristow, 2 Koree Britton, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Will Rowlands, 5 Marcus Garratt, 6 Ali Bone, 7 Jack Willis, 8 Alex Rieder.
Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Tom West, 18 Simon McIntyre, 19 Ehize Ehizode, 20 Tom Willis, 21 Will Porter, 22 Warren Seals, 23 Owain James/ Joshua Hodson.
Leicester Tigers
15 Mathew Tait (c), 14 Tom Brady, 13 Jack Roberts, 12 Matt Smith, 11 George Catchpole, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Jono Kitto, 1 Michele Rizzo, 2 Harry Thacker, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Dom Barrow, 6 Tom Croft, 7 Will Evans, 8 Luke Hamilton.
Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Riccardo Brugnara, 18 Ben Betts, 19 Joe Maksymiw, 20 Will Owen, 21 Ben White, 22 George Worth, 23 Charlie Thacker.
Northampton Saints
15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 Nafi Tuitavake, 12 Harry Mallinder, 11 Juan Pablo Estelles, 10 Sam Olver, 9 Tom Kessell, 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Charlie Clare, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 David Ribbans, 5 Christian Day (c), 6 Jamie Gibson, 7 Ben Nutley, 8 Sam Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 James Fish, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Michael Paterson, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Lee Dickson, 22 Rory Hutchinson, 23 James Wilson.
Ospreys
15 Dafydd Howells, 14 Jay Baker, 13 Joe Thomas, 12 Jonathan Spratt, 11 Ben John, 10 Luke Price, 9 Rhys Webb (c), 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Scott Otten, 3 Rhodri Jones, 4 James Ratti, 5 Adam Beard, 6 Joe Bearman, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Rob McCusker.
Replacements: 16 Ifan Phillips, 17 Rowan Jenkins, 18 Daniel Suter, 19 Tyler Ardron, 20 Will Jones, 21 Matthew Aubrey, 22 Phil Jones, 23 Tom O’Flaherty.
Bristol
15 Jack Wallace, 14 David Lemi, 13 Will Hurrell, 12 Tusi Pisi, 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Alby Mathewson, 1 Jack O’Connell, 2 Max Crumpton, 3 Gaston Cortes, 4 Dan Tuohy, 5 Ben Glynn, 6 Nick Fenton-Wells, 7 Jack Lam (c), 8 Mitch Eadie.
Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 James Hall, 19 Mark Sorenson, 20 Giorgi Nemsadze, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Thretton Palamo, 23 Jack Tovey.
Newport Gwent Dragons
15 Carl Meyer, 14 Adam Hughes (c), 13 Tyler Morgan, 12 Adam Warren, 11 Tom Prydie, 10 Dorian Jones, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 1 Thomas Davies, 2 Rhys Buckley, 3 Brok Harris, 4 Matthew Screech, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Ollie Griffiths, 7 Nic Cudd, 8 Harri Keddie.
Replacements: 16 Thomas Rhys Thomas, 17 Sam Hobbs, 18 Lloyd Fairbrother, 19 James Thomas, 20 Robson Blake, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Angus O’Brien, 23 Sam Beard.
Newcastle Falcons
15 Alex Tait, 14 Belisario Agulla, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Joel Hodgson, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Jon Welsh, 4 Calum Green, 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Sean Robinson, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Mark Wilson.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Andrew Foster, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Callum Chick, 21 Michael Young, 22 Craig Willis, 23 Dominic Waldouck.
Sale Sharks
15 Mike Haley, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Byron McGuigan, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Mike Phillips, 1 Ross Harrison, 2 Neil Briggs, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 Bryn Evans, 5 Jonathan Mills, 6 Tom Curry, 7 David Seymour (c), 8 Laurence Pearce.
Replacements: 16 Cameron Neild, 17 James Flynn, 18 Kieran Longbottom, 19 George Nott, 20 Ben Curry, 21 James Mitchell, 22 Sam James, 23 Mark Jennings.
Cardiff Blues
15 Aled Summerhill, 14 Teri Gee, 13 Cory Allen, 12 Garyn Smith, 11 Harri Millard, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Pele Cowley, 1 Corey Domachowski, 2 Ethan Lewis, 3 Kieron Assiratti, 4 Ben Edwards, 5 Seb Davies, 6 James Sheekey, 7 Morgan Sienawski, 8 Cam Dolan (c).
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Marc Thomas, 18 Ben Leung, 19 Callum Bradbury, 20 Aled Ward, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Ben Jones, 23 Cameron Lewis.
Scarlets
15 Dion Jones, 14 Tom Williams, 13 Steff Hughes, 12 Gareth Owen, 11 Corey Baldwin, 10 Jack Maynard, 9 Declan Smith, 1 Dylan Evans, 2 Emyr Phillips (c), 3 Nicky Thomas, 4 Josh Helps, 5 Rynier Bernardo, 6 Jack Condy, 7 Josh Macleod, 8 Morgan Allen.
Replacements: 16 Torin Myhill, 17 Gethin Robinson, 18 Peter Edwards, 19 Phil Day, 20 Tom Phillips, 21 Connor Lloyd, 22 Billy McBryde, 23 Richard Smith.
Saracens
15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Tim Streather (c), 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Max Malins, 9 Henry Taylor, 1 Titi Lamositele, 2 Scott Spurling, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Nick Isiekwe, 5 Mark Flanagan, 6 Joel Conlon, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Samu Vunisa.
Replacements: 16 Jared Saunders, 17 Jack Culverhouse, 18 Billy Walker, 19 Kyle Baillie, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Tom Whiteley, 23 Dominic Morris.
Worcester Warriors
15 Ben Howard, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Jackson Willison, 11 Auguy Slowik, 10 Ryan Mills, 9 Luke Baldwin, 1 Na’ama Leleimalefaga, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Tevita Cavubati, 5 Will Spencer, 6 Phil Dowson (c), 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Alafoti Faosiliva.
Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 Tiff Eden, 23 Andy Short.
Harlequins
15 Aaron Morris, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Winston Stanley, 11 Alofa Alofa, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Karl Dickson, 1 Owen Evans, 2 Joe Gray, 3 Matt Shields, 4 Mark Reddish, 5 Charlie Matthews, 6 James Chisholm, 7 Dave Ward (c), 8 Mat Luamanu.
Replacements: 16 Elia Elia, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Tyler Gendall, 19 Stan South, 20 George Naoupu, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Tim Swiel, 23 Ross Chisholm.
