Easten Counties unbeaten

The London & South East section of the National U20 Championship will have a meeting of two unbeaten sides Kent and Eastern Counties on Sunday February 5 with each defending a 100 per cent record in Group A, while last season’s national runners-up Hampshire are again progressing strongly in Group B.

Eastern Counties defeated Essex 31-5 at Colchester, when a try by Counties’ Ben Cooper had the score level at 5-5 at half-time despite Essex playing with a strong wind behind them.

For the second half Eastern Counties were quickly deep into their opponents’ half, crossing the goal line twice without scoring before at the third attempt Joe Srokowski finished a try that was converted by Adam White.

Ollie Watson was next to score with another conversion by White, a penalty try increased the lead and a second try by Cooper in added time completed a good afternoon’s work by the Eastern Counties side.

The top two teams in each group qualify for London & South East semi finals on February 19, leading to a regional final on February 26 from which the winners go through to the national semi finals alongside their successful counterparts from the North, Midlands and South West.

In last Sunday’s (January 22) second round of group matches, Kent won 34-19 away to Middlesex at Old Merchant Taylors’. Kent led with a try by wing Ryan Fuller replied to by Middlesex No.8 and captain Fergus Taylor. A try by tight head prop Matt Sheppard converted by Alex Hodgkinson had Middlesex 12-5 up but Kent took control with five tries to emerge convincing victors.

The 2011 national finalists Hampshire are already certain of reaching the London & South East semi finals again after they earned their second bonus-point win in Group B, 44-17 away to Sussex at Chichester.

Hampshire scored seven tries with Southampton Solent University and Basingstoke wing Alex Tindall grabbing a well-deserved hat-trick.

Other try scorers were James Hammond (Cardiff University and Fordingbridge), Gosport & Fareham hooker Joey Clark, Nick Ovens of Hartpury College and Andover's Jake Stott.

Sussex captain Rhys Gillings (Chichester) scored a try converted by centre Arun Thompson (Horsham), and Brighton's Lucas Shone and Thompson also went over.

Hampshire team manager Ed Neville said: “We dominated in the line-outs and the backs were considerably better than they were a couple of weeks ago [against Surrey] so it made for a terrific team performance."

With Hertfordshire players required by their clubs doing well in the National Colts Cup, the county’s U20 match with Surrey from last weekend has been put off until this Sunday at Bishop’s Stortford RFC.

Surrey and Sussex will meet at Cranleigh on February 5 on the concluding day of the two groups.

In 2011 Hampshire defeated Kent to win the London & South East region, before defeating Leicestershire in the national semi finals and losing to Gloucestershire in the final at Twickenham Stadium.