At West Park, Leeds this afternoon (10 April) Scotland's under-17 side posted a 30-10 win over their English counterparts in a match dictated by the visitors from kick-off to final whistle.
Team manager Paul Kesterton said: "We scored three well-worked tries, there was lots of good hands and solid lines of running. The forwards played very well, it was a good all-round performance and a positive start to the under-17 programme."
Photo: Try scorers (l to r) Sam Moncur, Neil Herron and Blair Hutchinson
 
The first ten minutes of the match saw a keenly contested game with both sides stretched. Scotland's first foray into opposition territory, however, resulted in a penalty for the visitors with stand off Ben Cooper successfully slotting the three points. England drew level within the next five minutes with another penalty.
A good piece of work from the Scottish backs then allowed winger Sam Moncur to take his chance and he crossed the line on the 21 minute mark, the try converted by Cooper.
Buoyed by their lead, the Scots then applied the pressure and caused problems for the visitors in their 22. Centre Neil Herron then made the break across the whitewash, the try converted by Cooper to make the score 3-17 at half time.
England came back fighting hard for the first five minutes of the second half but the Scots coped well and defended strongly to hold their line and keep the score standing.
Centre Blair Hutchinson then staged a magnificent intercept before running half the length of the pitch to dot down between the posts, the score converted by Cooper.
In their eagerness to fight back as the clock ticked down, the English then made a few mistakes, resulting in another penalty, again slotted successfully by Cooper.
Into the last ten minutes and the Scottish youngsters looked to slow down the game; their English counterparts, however, seized their opportunity and made their break to score, the try successfully converted.
With only a few minutes to go, there was still time for another score and Scotland were awarded a further penalty, the three points added again by Cooper.
Added Kesterton: "We took a few minor knocks but are banking on the same squad travelling to Wellington to take part in the festival next week."
England Reds will kick-off the Wellington Festival in Berkshire on April 17 when they play Canada at 11am. England Blues will then face Belgium at 1.30pm with Scotland and France A wrapping up the opening day at 3.30pm. On April 19 Scotland play England Blues at 11am followed by Canada v Belgium at 1pm and England Reds v France A at 3.30pm.
The festival concludes on April 22 when the two English Divisions will join the six other sides with England Blues v English Division (North) at 10am, England Reds v Scotland at 11am, Belgium v English Division (Midlands) at 12noon and Canada v France A at 1pm.
Selkirk RFC then hosts Scotland under-17s as they take on France under-17s at Philiphaigh on Sunday 1 May (kick-off 2pm, admission free).
Scotland under-17 v England, Sunday 10 April 2011 at West Park, Leeds (kick-off 1pm)
15 Ruairidh Young (Loretto School / Musselburgh) *
14 Damien Hoyland (James Gillespie HS / Boroughmuir)
13 Blair Hutchinson (Longridge Towers / Melrose Wasps)
12 Neil Herron (Jordanhill School)
11 Sam Moncur (St Ambrose College / Sale)
10 Ben Cooper (Sedbergh)
9 Ramsay Young (George Watson's College)
1 Darcy Rae (Marr College / Kilmarnock)
2 Scott Rendall (Orkney RFC)
3 Ross Murray (Dollar Academy)
4 Duncan Campbell (Mackie Academy / Mackie RFC)
5 Cameron Turner (Robert Gordon's College)
6 Cameron Simpson (Edinburgh Academy)
7 Shaun McDonald (Dunblane HS / Stirling County RFC)*
8 Chris Dean (Edinburgh Academy) (captain)
Substitutes
Chris Arnold (Dunblane HS / Stirling County RFC), Buchan Richardson (Wellington College), Peter Redmayne (Loudoun Academy / Kilmarnock), Tom Moncur (St Ambrose / Sale), *Chris Barnes (High School of Glasgow / Glasgow Hawks), Fraser Irvine (Selkirk HS / Selkirk YC), Josh Rutnagur (Hutcheson’s Grammar School / GHA), *Cameron Jeffrey (Epsom College)

This article was posted on 11-Apr-2011, 07:34 by Hugh Barrow.