London & South East 25 North 15

5:30pm Friday 9th January 2009

Two well-matched packs produced an entertaining clash in the second of the first day fixtures in the U16 Divisional Festival at Moseley RFC.

London's 6ft 6ins second row George Merrick scored two tries in the second half to steer his side to victory, after the scores were level 10-10 at half-time.

A quickly taken line-out by North full back Mark Jennings led to the opening try after 12 minutes; the North spread play rapidly right to left and wing Tom Kill first skirted the London defence then hacked on for a well-earned try.

London went through the phases tidily to level the scores with wing Elliot McClean and full back Jack Master doing the final set-up work for scorer David Onyeme on the left wing.

The nip and tuck nature continued with Elliot Daly scoring for London & South East after a break by fellow centre Ben Axten-Burrett, then the North replying with scrum half George Drury getting free on the left and accurately lobbing a pass inside for Kill to grab his second try.

Merrick used his height to reach over the line and give London the lead 10 minutes into the second half then, after Jennings scored for the North, replacement London hooker Thomas Crozier crashed over for his side's fourth try, despite great efforts by North defenders to hold him up.

North centre Peter Lucock put in some hefty tackles but London secured the win with Merrick's second try.

London & South East U16: 15 Jack MASTERS King's School Canterbury & Kent 14 David ONYEME Langley School & Eastern Counties 13 Elliot DALY Whitgift School & Surrey 12 Ben AXTEN-BURRETT John Fisher School & Surrey 11 Elliot MCCLEAN Woodcote High School & Surrey 10 Rob STEPHEN King's School Canterbury & Kent 9 Josef SROKOWSKI Norwich School & Eastern Counties 1 Kyle SINCKLER Graveney School & Surrey 2 Harrison GEORGE Norwich School & Eastern Counties 3 Kieran BALL Felsted School & Essex 4 George MERRICK Carshalton Sports College & Surrey 5 Tom CRAWFORD Chislehurst & Sidcup School & Kent 6 Tom KNIGHT Reedham High School & Eastern Counties 7 Matt HANKIN Langley Park School & Kent 8 Alex STOUT RGS Guildford & Surrey Replacements: 16 Nick AUTERAC Mill Hill School & Middlesex 17 Callum BLACK Swanmore College & Hampshire 18 David COUTTS Mill Chase CTC & Hampshire 19 Thomas CROZIER RGS Colchester & Eastern Counties 20 Samuel HILL Queen Elizabeth Community College & Devon 21 Frederick GULLIFORD St George's School Harpenden & Hertfordshire 22 Jack HADDOW Watford Grammar School & Middlesex 23 Nathan YARDE Trinity School Croydon & Surrey 24 Herbie BUTLER Oratory School Reading & Surrey North U16: 15 Mark JENNINGS Lymm High School & Cheshire 14 William HEYLINGS Hymer's College & Yorkshire 13 Ben PERKINS Arnold School & Lancashire 12 Peter LUCOCK Allerton Grange & Yorkshire 11 Tom KILL Durham School & Durham 10 Jack HARRISON Sedbergh School & Cumbria 9 George DRURY King's School & Cheshire 1 Jay RUDLAND-THOMAS Lancaster RGS & Lancashire 2 Sam KERRY Ridgewood School & Yorkshire 3 Tom COATES Wales High School & Yorkshire 4 Dominic BARROW Bradfield Grammar School & Yorkshire 5 Henry FORBES Ampleforth College & Yorkshire 6 Angus ROBERTSON Barnard Castle School & Durham 7 Danny CASSON South Hunsley High School & Yorkshire 8 Chris DOWNHAM Queen Katharine School & Cumbria Replacements: 16 Josh THUNDERCLIFFE Filey School & Yorkshire 17 Tom BURTONWOOD Baines High School & Lancashire 18 Ryan FISH Ripley St Thomas High School & Lancashire 19 Joseph ROBINSON Kirkbie Kendal School & Cumbria 20 Tom AILES Ashton-on-Mersey High School & Cheshire 21 Oliver CHAMBERS Manchester Grammar School & Cheshire 22 Ed HAINSWORTH Bradford Grammar School & Yorkshire 23 Arnie ELLISON Bradford Grammar School & Yorkshire 24 Hugo GOVATT Leeds Grammar School & Yorkshire