England U20s 2017 Six Nations Champions gpfoto
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4th Feb 2017 England v France 59-17 Sandy Park
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10th Feb 2017 Wales v England 21-37 Parc Eirias
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17th March 2017
Ireland v England 10-14 Donnybrook
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England Under-20s secured their first Grand Slam title since 2012 - and their fifth Championship in seven years - with a thrilling Round Five victory in Dublin while Scotland earned their first victory of the tournament and France beat Wales to beat them to the runners-up spot. Here we take a look at how England secured a flawless record in the Championship while three teams clinched three wins apiece.
ROUND ONE Defending champions Wales kicked off the Under-20s Six Nations with their trip to Italy and looked to be showing their form of last season when they beat a stubborn Italian side 27-5 in Milan. In a display of power and patience, the Welsh crossed three times to beat a side that would go on to run France and Ireland close in the following rounds. reland began their campaign with a nailbiting, one-point victory over Scotland at Cumbernauld courtesy of a late try from Paul Boyle that was coolly converted by Johnny McPhillips for a 20-19 win. The Scots dominated the earl exchanges and took a commanding 13-5 lead into the break and 14 points from the boot of fly-half Josh Henderson looked to be helping them on their way to a winning start before McPhillips’ conversion won it for the Irish. World champions England got their campaign off to a flyer as they cruised to a nine-try victory over France at Sandy Park. Fly-half Max Malins was instrumental in their 59-17 win scoring 24 of his side’s points as six of the English backline crossed the whitewash in Exeter.
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ROUND TWO It was back to Italy to kick off Round Two and visitors Ireland secured their second successive one-point victory away from home showing their composure in the dying stages of Championship matches. Winger Jordan Larmour’s double proved decisive as the Irish got over the line 27-26 despite a late Italian fight back in Prato. England secured their second consecutive bonus-point victory in the Championship when they overcame Wales in a six-try thriller at Colwyn Bay. England talisman Zach Mercer scored a try seven minutes from time to quash any hope of a Welsh comeback and lead his team to a 37-21 victory. France scrum-half Arthur Retière scored a late double to secure his side a bonus point as they downed a spirited Scottish side 36-8 in Grenoble. With sides only separated by a score at halftime, France showed their class in the closing stages by pulling away from the Scots to recover from their opening round defeat. ROUND THREE England sent out a message to the rest of the sides in the Championship at the start of Round Three when they scored eight tries in a 46-0 victory over Italy at the Northern Echo Arena. Full-back Tom Parton and flanker Josh Bayliss dotted down twice each as England underlined their Grand Slam intentions when they secured the bonus point just two minutes into the second half. Ireland too earned their third win of the tournament with a 27-22 victory over France thanks, largely, to a flying start to the game at Donnybrook. The French responded with two tries in the second period but the Irish did enough to put themselves in the mix for the title in the last two rounds. Scotland and Wales signed off Round Three by playing out a 99-point thriller at Broadwood Stadium. The hosts scored six tries to Wales’ eight with Welshman Kieran Williams scoring his side’s third before half-time for a 27-12 lead in Cumbernauld. Scotland secured their own try-scoring bonus point within the hour before a chaotic final quarter resulted in five tries, rounded off by Welsh replacement Morgan Morris. ROUND FOUR After a tough loss to the Irish, France got back to winning ways with an 18-13 victory over Italy to secure their second win of the campaign. Six points from the boot of impressive fly-half Romain N’Tamack after the break were enough to stave off a brave Italian fight back in Cagliari. Ireland’s loss to Wales extinguished their hopes of a Grand Slam campaign with Kieran Williams’ fine double proving decisive in his side’s 41-27 victory. Wales earned their third win of the campaign, having already beaten Italy and Scotland, and the timing of their scoring - just
as Ireland looked to be pegging them back - was pivotal. As a result of Ireland’s loss, England could wrap up the Under-20s Six Nations title with a 33-5 win over Scotland at Franklin’s Gardens and they did just that with Zach Mercer, now captain, securing the bonus-point in the last ten minutes. Scotland provided much resistance during the game with a fine try from winger Darcy Graham just after half-time giving the Scots hope but tries from Mercer and Brophy-Clews in the dying minutes made sure of an English win. England matched their senior counterparts in wrapping up the title a week early and sought a victory over Ireland for their first Grand Slam in five years. ROUND FIVE In England’s Grand Slam bid at Donnybrook, they came up against their toughest test of the Championship but managed to puncture the Irish defence twice the the first-half to lead 14-3 at the break thanks to tries from Jack Nay and Henry Walker. Ireland replacement Gavin Coombes got his side back to within a score after the break as the men in green looked to spoil the English party on St Patrick’s Day. But England staved off a late Irish resurgence - with a turnover on their own line the final act of the game - to clinch the Grand Slam with a hard-fought 14-10 win. Elsewhere in the final round of the Championship, Scotland earned their first win of the Championship against Italy to condemn them to a winless campaign. Darcy Graham impressed for the Scots scoring their first and last of five tries in a 38-17 victory at Broadwood. In the Championship’s final game, Romain N’Tamack inspired France to a bonus-point victory over Wales to secure second spot behind champions England. After going 13 points down early on, the French fly-half had a hand in the first before scoring and converting the second of two quick-fire tries before the break for an unlikely 14-13 lead. France pulled away in the second period scoring four more tries to end the tournament on a high in Montauban with a 40-20 success.
Pete, his father, played for Durham University, Staines, Amersham & Chiltern and Ledbury. Grandfather John Butler was secretary of Hereford for 25 years while his other grandfather Craig Nicholl captained Moseley Public Schools and great grandfather Douglas Payne played for Moseley.
Will BUTLER 19 Age 4 Caps Centre Position Worcester Warriors Club Profile
Sport runs through the genes of the Butler family with Will an all-rounder, who scored two tries on his England U17 debut against France and then played his first game at U18 level against the corresponding French team in February last year. Remarkably, his U20 baptism was also against Les Bleus this February, which he celebrated with a try, followed by another against Wales at Colwyn Bay six days later. He wants to be the best player he can, push himself to the highest levels of the game and is eager to study business management at university, go to the City and earn a healthy living. Will has other ambitions, too. He said: “I see becoming an officer in the Army as a strong option and it is a good way to experience the world and serve your country in a different way.” A product of Hereford Cathedral School, where he took A-levels in economics, biology and PE, he had attended Ann Cam Primary School in Dymock. He is a member of the Worcester Warriors Academy, played for Ledbury from U7 to U17 level and represented Herefordshire, North Midlands, the Midlands and England Lions in the U16 age group. Macclesfield-born Will also captained Herefordshire U15 and U16 at cricket and plays for the Colwall club. His older brother Ben and younger sibling George also have a liking for the willow and have both represented Herefordshire at age group level. Younger sister Sophie plays hockey for Herefordshire. Rugby has been the game for the male side of the Will’s family.
His mentors past and present are mum and dad Fi and Pete, who shaped his passion for rugby, Jeremy Thomas at Ledbury RFC from the age of seven to 13, and school coaches Richard Skyrme and Guy Griffiths. He said: “Sam Vesty (the Warriors Academy backs coach in 2014) saw my potential as a player. As a coach, he was creative and enthusiastic about our backs play – a reason why I think he was promoted to the club’s first team backs coach two years ago. “I was always amazed by the way Brian O’Driscoll played. Given that he wasn’t the biggest centre on the pitch he always seemed to have time on the ball and manipulated defences. The way he carried himself off the field was also something I admired.” U20 International Record 10 points – 2T 2017 F, W, S, I
U18 International Record 2016 F England Under-20s stave off late Irish fightback to secure Grand Slam The English scored all their points in the first half
with early tries from Jack Nay and Henry Walker dotting down to give them a commanding 14-3 lead at the break. But the Irish battled the Donnybrook elements to claw their way back into the game with a well worked scored from Gavin Coombes. The hosts, however, fell just short as they went in search of a match-winning score in the final minutes as England claimed their first Grand Slam since 2011 England started the brighter side and turned down two
early shots at goal on a blustery evening in Dublin. Second row Nay got the game’s opening try, rumbling over on the back of a driving maul with Max Malins adding the extras from a tight angle. The Irish responded immediately and mounted pressure on the England line for several minutes but their discipline cost them as they conceded penalties at the breakdown to let the champions elect off the hook. Ireland fly-half Bill Johnston got his side on the scoreboard a minute before half-time with a well struck penalty to bring them back within four. But England regained possession from the restart and probed at the Ireland line with captain Zach Mercer making a number of powerful carries. nst the Irish drift defence to cross the whitewash untouched making for the easiest of conversions for Malins who made it 14-3 at the break. Ireland threatened to drag the hosts back within striking distance shortly after the break but were penalised at the crucial moments in the red zone. And the hosts got their reward after knocking on the door for several minutes with replacement second row Coombes rumbling over to set up a grandstand finish. But the English defence held strong and they managed to stave off further waves of Irish attack in the last ten minutes. Ireland mounted one final attack in the dying minutes with replacement fly-half Connor Fitzgerald finding holes in the English line. But it was the dogged defensive effort of England that prevented the Irish form spoiling the party in Dublin as they were held up over the line as the clock went red.
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