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Harrison called up by England Counties XV


ENGLAND Counties XV have called up prop Tom Harrison for their international against Scotland Club XV at Fylde’s Woodlands Memorial Ground on Friday February 27 (7.30pm).

Harrison, who is on loan at National Two South club Clifton from Plymouth Albion in the Greene King IPA Championship, replaces Tim Brockett of Hartpury College who has been forced to withdraw for family reasons.

Brockett himself had been called up as a replacement for Alex Penny who was recalled by his club Ealing Trailfinders on Monday.

Harrison is the fourth change to the squad originally named by the England Counties selectors with Coventry centre Luke Myring and Worthing lock Charlie McGowan called up to replace the injured Simon Whatling and Will Warden.

The Scotland Club XV match is the only home fixture for the England Counties XV this season and will be followed by a trip to Perigeux to play France Federale XV on March 20 and two matches in Romania on their summer tour in early June.

Tickets for the England Counties XV v Scotland Club XV international can be obtained from: Fylde RFC, The Woodlands Memorial Ground, Blackpool Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4EL. Telephone: 01253 734733 or email: info@fylderugby.co.uk

Prices are: adult £8.00, concessions £5.00, under 16s £2.00, under 16s accompanied by an adult, free.

England Counties XV revised squad:

Backs. Joe Bedford (Sandal), Jordan Dorrington (Fylde), Chris Johnson (Fylde), Sebastian Rodwell (London Irish Wild Geese), Cameron Mitchell (Darlington Mowden Park), Luke Myring (Coventry), Will Hurrell (Coventry), Oliver Brennand (Fylde), James Love (Ealing Trailfinders), Mike Wilcox (Cinderford).

Forwards: Aston Croall (Blackheath), Steve Johnson (Hull Ionians), Robbie Kalbrairer (Blaydon), Tom Harrison (Clifton), Brett McNamee (Old Albanians), Sam Wilkes (Cinderford), Ben Hilton (Launceston), Charlie McGowan (Worthing), Keith Laughlin (Blaydon), Chris Davies (Richmond), Billy Johnson (Old Albanians - captain), Gavin Jones (Blaydon), Evan Stewart (Fylde).

England Counties XV 37 Scotland Club XV 3

Fylde flanker Evan Stewart and replacement scrum-half Jordan Dorrington enjoyed home comforts to help England Counties to an emphatic victory in their first ever international against Scotland Club XV at the Woodlands memorial Ground this evening.

Both marked their debuts for England Counties with tries to set up the win their home ground against a lively Scotland side who had beaten Ireland Club XV earlier in the month.

Stewart used to teach Dorrington at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, but they are now equals as team-mates with Fylde in National One.

Stewart, who hails from Northern Ireland, celebrated jubilantly after he crossed from close range for the second of England’s six tries after an attack from a five metres scrum.

Stewart’s try followed an opening one from Sandal scrum-half who sniped through the Scotland defence after the visitors had turned over possession under pressure from Coventry wing Will Hurrell.

After two one point defeats by France Federale XV and Ireland Club XV last season, the win will have put England Counties in good heart for their visit to Perigeux to face their French counterparts on March 20.

England still had work to do at half time as Scotland pulled back a penalty from scrum-half Graham Wilson but the match was settled inside the first five minutes of the second half.

Old Albanians flanker Billy Johnson, who was given the honour of captaining the Counties, powered over from close range for a try that his namesake Chris, also playing on his home ground, improved.

Quick thinking by Bedford, who took a quick tapped penalty, then created an overlap for loosehead prop Aston Croall who galloped over in the corner for an unconverted try.

The Counties lost some momentum while replacement centre Sebastian Rodwell was in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on but they stepped up the intensity again once they were back to full strength.

James Love of Ealing Trailfinders crossed after another quickly-taken tapped penalty and Dorrington was engulfed by joyous team-mates after he wriggled over shortly after he had replaced Bedford.

England Counties. 15 Mike Wilcox (Cinderford); 14 Will Hurrell (Coventry), 13 Cameron Mitchell (Darlington Mowden Park), 12 Luke Myring (Coventry), 11 Oliver Brennand (Fylde); 10 Chris Johnson (Fylde), 9 Joe Bedford (Sandal); 1 Aston Croall (Blackheath), 2 Brett McNamee (Old Albanians), 3 Steve Johnson (Hull Ionians), 4 Charlie McGowan (Worthing Raiders), 5 Ben Hilton (Launceston), 6 Billy Johnson (Old Albanians – captain), 7 Evan Stewart (Fylde), 8 Gavin Jones (Blaydon).

Replacements: Sam Wilkes (Cinderford) for McNamee 54, Robbie Kalbraier (Blaydon) for Croall 59, Tom Harrison (Clifton) for S Johnson 76, Keith Laughlin (Blaydon) for Hilton 60, Chris Davies (Richmond) for Stewart 68, Jordan Dorrington (Fylde) for Bedford 76, Sebastian Rodwell (London Irish Wild Geese) for Myring 39, James Love (Ealing Trailfinders) for C Johnson 60.

Scotland Club XV. 15 Fraser Thomson; 14 Craig Gossman, Liam Steele, Chris Auld, Scott McLeod; Stuart Edwards, Graham Wilson; Nick Beavon, Fergus Scott, Ewan McQuillin, Russell Nimmo, Iain Moody, Jason Hill, Peter Eccles, Ross Weston (captain).

Replacements: Russell Anderson, Fraser Watt, Shawn Muir, Malcolm Peacock, George Graham, Gregor McNeish, Keith Buchan.

Referee: Mr Robert Price (Wales)

ENGLAND Counties XV coach James Shanahan praised the ethos of the flagship representative team of community rugby in England after they had eased to a 37-3 win in their first-ever meeting with Scotland Club XV at Fylde.

England Counties ran in six tries with the most popular scored by flanker Evan Stewart and replacement scrum half Jordan Dorrington from the host club.

Shanahan works as head coach of Greene King IPA Championship club Plymouth Albion but he is proud of his links with the England Counties XV which is selected from players playing for clubs outside of the top two tiers in English club rugby.

“It’s the opportunity to put an England shirt on which they are never likely to do at the top, top level,” Shanahan said.

“It’s the chance to work in a full-time environment with professional coaches and the chance to play with players they face every week in and week out in the National Leagues.

“But we represent a lot of rugby players. You take out the top two leagues and there are another ten leagues underneath and that is what we represent.

“There are a lot of players out there who would love to put that jersey on and be playing out there. I know there are guys who have played before who are bugging the management to be selected because it means that much to them.

“They love the experience and I love it as coach. To come in get a group of 23 players, put something together and let the players express themselves on the field. It think this experience is brilliant.”

Shanahan stepped up from assistant coach to take charge of the Counties’ preparations for the Scotland match after head coach Steve Pope was unable to travel for family reasons.

Paul Arnold, the Fylde lock who was recently appointed forwards coach of the England Counties Under 20 side, was called up to fill the gap left by Pope’s unavailability and his efforts impressed Shanahan.

“We’ve had regular text messages and phone calls to see how the squad was going. Me and Popey work pretty well so it didn’t really affect things massively,” Shanahan said.

“It’s good that Paul Arnold stepped in, he’s well known to most of the players and he’s a Fylde lad as well and he has done really well.

“He has bought into it. He’s an ex-Counties player as well and he was as keen as mustard to help out on the coaching.”

England Counties will now start their preparations for their next match against France Federale XV in Perigeux on March 20.

The Counties were beaten by a point by the same opponents in Nevers last season but they will travel back to France buoyed with confidence after denying Scotland a try in an impressive performance that was capped by a man-of-the-match display by new captain Billy Johnson, the Old Albanians blindside flanker.

“I thought they were outstanding. The most pleasing thing was their defence. Not to concede a try in a Test match is a credit to them and their character, the intensity and the work rate they showed,” Shanahan said.

“It’s a new defensive system but they all bought into it. First half we didn’t have a lot of ball, but second half we got our off-load game going, we out-worked them round the corner kept the ball really well made some good inroads and we could probably have had three or four more tries.

“But to score six tries was great and I’m really happy. Scotland beat Ireland by five points so to beat them by 30-odd points was a great performance.

“I thought Billy was brilliant. I know him from Old Albanians and he was outstanding. I thought Seb Rodwell coming off the bench made a great impact, in fact I thought the whole bench made an impact, they all gave us something different.

“If I had to pick a man of the match it would probably be Billy. He was outstanding. I am very happy, we will enjoy that win and look forward to France.”