The U18 Academy League kicked off this weekend with three fixtures, with the rest of the round to be completed in midweek.
On Friday night the league kicked off with Gloucester’s trip to Saracens, the only game in the Southern Conference this weekend. The league is split into two conference, north and south, with Yorkshire Carnegie, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Wasps, Worcester Warriors, Leicester Tigers, and Northampton Saints in the North and Saracens, Gloucester, Bath, Bristol, Exeter Chiefs, London Irish, and Harlequins in the South.
A fantastic game of rugby unfolded, with the sides sharing sixty-five points and being separated by just three. Felsted’s Ollie Stonham was among the Saracens points scorers, but it was Gloucester who just edged, showing great character to take the game 34-31.
There were two games on Saturday, both in the Northern Conference, with Wasps travelling to Sixways to play Worcester Warriors, and Yorkshire Carnegie hosting Newcastle Falcons at West Park Leeds.
Wasps were on fire at Sixways, beating their hosts by an impressive 55-12 margin. Four first half tries saw them head into the break 24-0 up. Another two quick tries followed early in the second half before Worcester got themselves on the scoreboard 10 minutes into the half, leaving the gap at 36-7.
Wasps stepped back to the gas again though as Henley College pair Bacon and O’Sullivan completed their braces, stretching the lead out to 55-7 before Worcester responded with a score of their own to leave the final score 55-12 in Wasps’ favour.
Over at West Park Yorkshire Carnegie put on a top performance too, opening their account with a 33-19 win over Newcastle Falcons.
Newcastle had the early running though, scoring through Gosforth Academy star Morgan Passman. However the hosts soon responded Durham’s Andre Robson, before Ripon Grammar School’s Ted Wainwright then doubled Yorkshire’s lead with a well taken try.
That slender 14-7 lead quickly became 26-7 by half time after a score from QEGS Wakefield flanker Edan Kelly was followed almost immediately following a fumble under the high ball from Newcastle, with Yorkshire skipper Ben Carlile of Pocklington charging almost half the length of the field.
Newcastle rallied after half time, with Rob Farrar crossing the whitewash but Carnegie effectively killed the game off through another QEGS man, Joe Gatus.
There was time for Newcastle to have the final say though, with Nathan Henderson crossing for the visitors, finishing the game up at 33-19.
You can see highlights from the Yorkshire Carnegie U18 v Newcastle Falcons U18 game below:
The opening round of the U18 Academy League continues on Wednesday with Bristol v Bath at Bristol Grammar School, before Leicester Tigers host Northampton Saints on Thursday and London Irish welcome Harlequins on Friday.
As always, if you have any videos, photos, or reports from the weekend’s U18 Premiership rugby, please feel free to send them in via Twitter (@FifteenRugbyXV), Facebook (www.facebook.com/FifteenRugby), Instagram (@fifteenrugbyxv), or through email (writers@fifteenrugby.com).
Video via Yorkshire Carnegie
U18 Academy League Round 1 Results
Friday
Saracens 31-34 Gloucester
Saturday
Worcester Warriors 12-55 Wasps
Yorkshire Carnegie 33-19 Newcastle Falcons
Team News:
Saracens
15 Max Bliss (Dulwich College), 14 David Jimoh-Ibrahim (New Hall), 13 Ade Lipede (Whitgift), 12 Josh Hallet (New Hall), 11 Jake Morris (Bishop Stortford College), 10 Josh Barton (Berkhamsted), 9 Matteo Petrozzi (Tonbridge), 1Samuel Crean (Harrow), 2 Theodore Dan (Alleyn’s), 3 Harry Sturge (Felsted), 4 Jonathon Kpoku (Oaklands College), 5 Cameron Boon (Bishop Stortford College), 6 Ethan Benson (Hayes), 7 Dylan Taylor (Tonbridge), 8 Alfie Scopes (Judd).
Replacements: 16 Kapeli Pifeleti (Haileybury), 17 Tom Harris (Tonbridge), 18 Edward Thompson (Eltham College), 19 Oliver Stonham (Felsted), 20 Kyle Douglas (Haileybury), 21 Connor Dudley (Hitchin Boys), 22 Oliver Bluck (New Hall), 23 Thomas Hitchcock (Felsted).
Gloucester
15 Reece Dunn, 14 Alex Morgan, 13 James Davies, 12 Jake Reeves, 11 Tom Stanton (c), 10 Isaac Marsh, 9 Steve Varney, 1 Shay O’Malley, 2 Bertie Stretch, 3 Jack Bartlett, 4 Archie Tarbuck, 5 Joe Howard, 6 JJ Tonks, 7 Bailey Watts, 8 Cameron Terry.
Replacements: 16 Alex Hunt, 17 Morgan Nelson, 18 Ollie Adkins, 19 Jack Clement, 20 Dec Fissenden, 21 Brad Morgan, 22 George Barton, 23 Josh Pimlott.
Worcester Warriors
15 Jake Leonard (Worcester Sixth Form College), 14 Charlie Gamble (Worcester Sixth Form College), 13 Alex Bartley (Solihull), 12 Paul Wells (Worcester Sixth Form College), 11 Dan Ward (Cheltenham College), 10 Louis Jackson (KES Stratford), 9 Tom Williams (Bromsgrove), 1 Lewis Holsey (Solihull), 2 Jamie White (Worcester Sixth Form College), 3 Max Baggs (Cheltenham College), 4 Owien Harriott-Davis (King’s Worcester), 5 Tom Berry (RGS Worcester), 6 George Bates (King’s Worcester), 7 Oli Thorneywork (Warwick), 8 Tom Fawcett (Warwick).
Replacements: 16 Aaron Layton (Worcester Sixth Form College), 17 Tom Furnival (Worcester Sixth Form College), 18 Lewis Ballinger (Worcester Sixth Form College), 19 Morgan French (Bromsgrove), 20 Ben Turner (Bromsgrove), 21 Tom Matthews (RGS Worcester), 22 Josh Phipps (Hartpury College), 23 Callum Bobath (KES Stratford).
Wasps
15 Bacon (The Henley College), 14 Atta (Stowe), 13 O’Sullivan (The Henley College), 12 Weatherall (Dr Chanlors), 11 Hamilton (The Henley College), 10 Pietersen (Magdalen College), 9 Mortimer (Warwick) (vc), 1 Harris (The Henley College), 2 Barbeary (c) (Bloxham), 3 Cordice (The Henley College), 4 Kelley (Warwick), 5 Ademuwagun (Harrow), 6 Pill (The Henley College), 7 Stoker (King Henry’s), 8 Mawdsley (Radley College).
Replacements: 16 Nearchou, 17 Pleasants, 18 Roche, 19 Sayer, 20 Jakobsen, 21 Chilcott, 22 Robinson, 23 Phillips.
Travelling Reserve: Atkinson
Yorkshire Carnegie
15 Joe Carpenter (Woodhouse Grove), 14 Joe Gatus (QEGS Wakefield), 13 Andre Robson (Durham), 12 Kieran Wilyman (Woodhouse Grove), 11 Jack Bodman (Hill House), 10 Dan Lancaster (Bishop Burton College), 9 Joe Green (vc) (Woodhouse Grove), 1 Ben Carlile (c) (Pocklington), 2 Adam Brown (St Peter’s, York), 3 Blly Nicholls (Benton Park), 4 Tor Borrowdale (Tapton), 5 Matt Burke (Woodhouse Grove), 6 Archie Smeaton (Hymers College), 7 Edan Kelly (QEGS Wakefield), 8 Ted Wainwright (Ripon GS).
Replacements: 16 Ryan Gibson (Woodhouse Grove), 17 Conner Hancock (Bishop Burton College), 18 Will Robinson (Woodhouse Grove), 19 Adam Hopkinson (Silcaotes), 20 Chris Jackson (Woodhouse Grove), 21 Kai Ramratten (Mount St Mary’s), 22 Tom Stephenson (QEGS Wakefield), 23 Jack Kennell (Queen Ethelburga’s).
Matchday Reserves: Harry Williams (Bishop Burton College), Kian Stewart (Rishworth).
Newcastle Falcons
15 Josh Hodge, 14 Morgan Passman, 13 Nathan Henderson, 12 Jack Peter, 11 Harry Jackson, 10 Callum Pascoe, 9 Andrew Miller, 1 Alistair Blackett, 2 Joe Lashley, 3 Oscar Caudle, 4 Ethan Clarke, 5 Will Montgomery, 6 Rob Farrar, 7 Harry Hill, 8 Tom Marshall.
Replacements: 16 Phil Brantingham, 17 Will Elliott, 18 Freddy Lockwood, 19 Eddy Anderson, 20 Mason Lethwaite, 21 Matthew Price, 22 Will Roberts, 23 Johnny Critchton.
