Northampton Saints U18s opened their Defender Next Gen Academy league season with a convincing 50-39 victory over Gloucester.
A first-half brace from Finn Westley, as well as tries from Fin Shields and Charlie King, saw Saints take a narrow 31-29 lead into the break.
Three more tries in the second period, including another from Westley and one from Shields, as well as one from Howie Barnett-Vincent, saw Saints take home the victory.
Reflecting on the result, Head Coach Charlie Reed said, “I thought the boys worked tremendously hard today in really tough conditions.
“It took a really strong mindset from the boys to keep going, they wanted to play how we train week in week out, and so overall, really happy.”
First-Half
It was the visitors who had the early ascendancy in the game with two tries quick out of the blocks, one from a pick and go close to the line, and a second from the scrum-half taking a quick tap, catching the Saints defence unaware.
Saints responded with Shields hitting a nice, hard line from a touchline scrum to crash over on first phase.
Gloucester added another from a cross-field kick into the backfield, which was dotted down by the chasing winger, but Saints came back with two quick-fire tries to take the lead for the first time in the game. Firstly, from Westley, after the young men in Black, Green and Gold made a nice break down the short side, and the third of the afternoon was a wonder solo-try from King, following a break from inside his own half, with a diving finish to top it off.
Following the water break under the blistering heat at Moulton College, the sides traded a further two tries each before the half-time break. The first from Gloucester was a chip and chase from the winger, and the second came from a dominant driving maul. Saints had a maul try of their own, followed by a launch play from inside their own half that Westley finished for his second of the afternoon.
Second Half
The points came thick and fast in the second period, just as they had in the first, with Gloucester going over first, converting early field pressure for the try. Saints responded with a nice tap and go penalty finished by Barnett-Vincent
Gloucester’s final chance to score of the afternoon came from a tap-and-go penalty themselves, but it was to be Saints’ afternoon under the sun as they finished with a further two tries once again from Westely and Shields.
Westley had his easiest finish of the afternoon after some nice patient build-up play that found its way out wide to his wing, followed by a final cherry on the top try from Shields, with a nice dummy switch that opened space for him to finish with a spectacular dive to finish under the posts.
Line-ups
Saints U18s: 15. Alfie Tedbury, 14. Malachy Renihan, 13. Charlie King, 12. Fin Shields, 11. Finn Westley, 10. Milo Innes, 9. George Grewcock; 1. Toby Seaman, 2. James Slater, 3. Ben Jones, 4. Archie McHarg, 5. Callum McBride, 6. Seb Dare (c), 7. George Simmonds, 8. Harry Nath.
Replacements: 16. Charlie Utting, 17. Oliver Surley, 18. Rupert Kiy, 19. James Peasley, 20. Howie Barnett-Vincent, 21. Fred Oliver, 22. Kai Manson, 23. Ollie Jones.
Gloucester U18s: 15. Ryan Jones, 14. Freddie Trevis, 13. Eddie Hillman (C), 12. Ollie Williams, 11. Eifion Surian-Holder, 10. Ed Willsher, 9. Ernie Sanders; 1. Kristian Carty, 2. Harry Hinton, 3. Jake Johnson, 4. Ben Adshead, 5. Henry Chapman, 6. Keir Creasey, 7. Alec Carpigo, 8. Mosese Tuliakiono.
Replacements: 16. Massi Carpigo, 17. Conner Allen, 18. Tomos Davies, 19. Felix Williams, 20. Barney Danks, 21. Alex Evans, 22. Seb Broad.
Northampton Saints U17s 47-17 Gloucester U17s
Immediately following the U18s fixture, the Saints and Gloucester U17s played a friendly, with the Saints coming away with an impressive 47-17 victory.