International Student Rugby League returned last week with the Student Rugby League Tri-Nations taking place in Galway, Ireland, where England were the victors having recorded two wins, with Scotland taking the runner’s up space after beating hosts Ireland 12-18 in the opening game. Wales were absent from the tournament but will return in future years to contest the annual trophy which is normally a Four Nations competition and has been played for since 1994. England’s win is their sixth consecutive trophy lift.
- Ireland Students vs England Universities
- Saturday 25th, 2.30pm KO
- National University in Galway, Ireland
England secured the Tri-Nations title after a 4-48 victory over Ireland in the final game of the tournament.
Kellen Wood’s two early tries set a platform, carbon copy efforts which saw him burrow through at the line, with Matty Rudd missing the first and Jack Quinn converting the second. But Ireland hit back with Eoin Creaby finding an overlap on the right wing to score Ireland’s first try against England in over 200 minutes of play between the two nations, although Fiech Millward unable to convert.
Spurred on, it was all England as Elliot Jones crashed through in centre field to give Quinn an easy shot on goal before Nathan Newbound collected the ricochet off the posts to spin in and score, Quinn again on target with the boot. Cameron Brown dive in before the corner flag just before half time go push England further ahead but the conversion was out of range for Quinn with the half time score 4-26 in England’s favour.
Max Flanagan found the mark from the restart, burrowing through to add his name to the scoresheet, Quinn adding the extras, before Wood completed his hat-trick with a running effort out wide which Quinn was unable to improve. Quinn was again off target with the boot when his Northumbria team mate Sean Croston completed and impressive left to right move but managed to add the extras when Charlie McCurrie barged his way through with ten minutes remaining.
Ireland dug deep several times during the game and kept a clean sheet in the final ten minutes, earning them both the respect of their opposition and the onlooking crowd who braved the rainy conditions to take in an excellent game.
Ireland: Aedan Coleman, James Reynolds, Ellis Keppel, Jack O’Sullivan, Eoin Creaby, Sean Findlow, Fiech Millward, James Mulvaney, Philip Moirrson, Alex Duff, Conor Creaby, Leon Vargam Aaron Lynch. Interchanges: Luke Findlow, Louis O’Sullivan, Callum Stewart, Josh Hawthorn, Jack Crampton.
Tries: Eoin Creaby (23). Goals: Fiech Millward 0/1.
England: Max Flanagan, Jack Cherry, Leon Stewart, Sean Croston, Cameron Brown , Matty Rudd, Jack Quinn, Ben Bradshaw, Kellen Wood, Christian Gale, Jordan Bull, Alex Eckley, Charlie McCurrie. Interchanges: Nathan Newbound, Michael Holden, Elliott Jones, Harry Trulson, Adam Lavin.
Tries: Kellen Wood (3, 8,45 ), Elliott Jones (28), Cameron Brown (38), Max Flanagan (41), Sean Croston (56), Charlie McCurrie (70). Goals: Matty Rudd 0/1, Jack Quinn 5/7.
Referee: James Spencer (Ireland)
- Scotland Students vs England Universities
- Wednesday 22nd June, 2.30pm KO
- National University in Galway, Ireland
England started their Tri-Nations campaign with a win over Scotland, with several impressive performances and student international debuts across the park.
Max Flanagan had a dream start to the game, catching Scotland’s kick from their first set before weaving through the defence to go 70 metres for a first minute try, giving Max Flanagan an easy conversion. From the restart England found themselves under pressure with back to back penalties for offside seeing them having to work overtime in the heat to defend their line, but it was not long before Joe Riley’s scampering run nosed England further ahead, although Rudd was unable to improve the score.
England used their momentum and fitness to good advantage as Michael Holden scorched down the right wing after Sean Croston’s pass to push England further ahead, with Rudd this time landing a towering conversion from the touchline.
Scotland rallied and through physical runs from Harris Johnstone and Alex Melton they built a position for Cameron Taylor to find space on the edge, with England scrambling to defend. Pete Burns added the extras to keep Scotland in touch.
Matty Rudd was next in for England for a try of his own, finding space on the right edge which he easily converted before Alex Eckley also had some joy on the right hand side of the field, but the angle was too much for Rudd to be able to further improve, with the half drawing to a close at 6-26.
England looked in fine form in the second half, with Kellen Wood burrowing through from dummy-half in front of the sticks to give Rudd an easy goal and Jack Cherry striding out to beat the corner flag on the left edge, a kick too far for Rudd, to compound the Scot’s misery in the blistering Irish sunshine.
Holden added his second with a diving try on the right hand side before Cherry added his second out wide on the left wing, with Rudd kicking both to put the game beyond the reach of Scotland.
Both sides were flagging in the heat and tempers were rising as quickly as the temperatures which led to Christian Gale’s trip to the sin bin with five minutes to go for a high tackle, reducing England to 12 men, and spurred on with the overlap Johnny Hutton found space in the middle of the park for a consolation score for Scotland, with Burns adding the conversion to bring the score to 12-48.
Scotland: Johnny Hutton, Cameron Taylor, Oli Shakeshaft, Ben Heber, Oli Rees, Pete Burns, Chris Wood, Connor Terrill, Cameron Young, Harris Johnstone, Ben Morris, Alex Melton, Ryan Powles. Interchanges: Mikey Mair, Laurence Wilson, Lochlann Nairn, Elliot Campbell, Sean Taylor.
Tries: Cameron Taylor (23), Johnny Hutton (77). Goals: Pete Burns 2/2.
England: Max Flanagan, Jack Cherry, Leon Stewart, Sean Croston, Michael Holden, Matty Rudd, Joe Riley, Christian Gale, Kellen Wood, Adam Lavin, Jordan Bull, Alex Eckley, Elliott Jones. Interchanges: Jack Quinn, Charlie McCurrie, Nathan Newbound, Ben Bradshaw
Tries: Max Flanagan (1), Joe Riley (11), Michael Holden (14, 56), Matty Rudd (34), Alex Eckley (37), Kellen Wood (45), Jack Cherry (48, 59). Goals: Matty Rudd 6/9.
Sin Bin: Christian Game (75) – High Tackle
Referee: Paul Causby (Ireland)
