JOHNSON'S ENGLAND REIGN OFF TO A GOOD START OVER PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Martin Johnson’s reign as England team manager started with a 39-13 victory over the Pacific Islanders at a 40 per cent empty Twickenham on Saturday, though the former lock will be the first to admit that there is still plenty to work on ahead of the bigger challenges of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in the coming weeks.
Johnson, who lifted the World Cup for England in 2003, handed debuts to five players in a new-look team. Man-of-the-match Delon Armitage, the London Irish’s full-back, had an untroubled defensive game, while his team-mate Nick Kennedy marked his international bow with a try. The second-row scored England’s penultimate try only four minutes into the second half – he has only cross the whitewash once for his club.
Ugo Monye, the Harlequins winger, did not score on his debut but his mazy run assisted Danny Cipriani’s try late in the first half, while Riki Flutey, the Wasps centre who qualified for British citizenship in the summer, was solid in defence and showed glimpses of why he was voted players’ player of last season. The Maori-born 28-year-old’s pass was key to England’s first try, scored on 15 minutes following fly-half Cipriani’s penalty six minutes earlier. Flutey’s fizzed miss-pass found Armitage who lobbed inside to winger Paul Sackey, who ran in his ninth try for his country. He would later score his tenth.
The Pacific Islanders, made up of the cream of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, had never before played against England but hit back almost immediately. Cipriani’s clearance kick in his own 22 was charged down by outside centre Seru Rabeni, who followed up to score.
Despite that conceded try blotting his copy book, Cipriani linked well scrum-half Danny Care and the 21-year olds, who only had five caps between them before kick-off, will be crucial for England’s evolution.
Cipriani make amends for his sloppy mistake by supporting Monye’s run and, after taking the pass, scored three minutes before the interval. Monye, 25, had dashed impressively from his own 22 and shipped to the Wasps No10 when he was eventually caught. Cipriani converted his own try, two of 19 points in a near-perfect kicking game – he missed one conversion from the touchline. Pierre Hola’s penalty on the stroke of half-time took the score to 20-10.
Four minutes after the break Kennedy caught a line out, dropped it to Care, who raced through the gap, and collected the return to gleefully belly-flop over the try line. The Pacific Islanders scored a penalty through substitute Seremaia Martens with 25 minutes remaining, but that was to be their last score of the afternoon.
With 13 minutes left Lee Mears, the Bath hooker, made the most of the visitors’ fatigue and bundled over for a converted score in between the posts. He was later replaced for another debutant, Dylan Hartley, 22, of Northampton Saints. Sackey added another try with five minutes to go to take the score to a flattering 39-13.
ENGLAND
Tries: Sackey (2), Cipriani, Kennedy an Mears
Conversions: Cipriani 4 (5)
Penalties: Cipriani 2 (2)
PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Tries: Rabeni
Conversions: Hola 1 (1)
Penalties: Hola 1 (2), Bai 1 (1)
England: Armitage, Sackey, Noon, Flutey, Monye, Cipriani, Care, Sheridan, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick, Kennedy, Croft, Rees, Easter.
Replacements: Hartley, Vickery, Palmer, Haskell, Lipman, Ellis, Flood.
Pacific Islanders: Ratuvou, Tagicakibau, Rabeni, Mapusua, Delasau, Hola, Rauluni, Va'a, Lutui, Johnston, Levi, Leawere, Naevo, Latu, Maka.
Replacements: Koto Vuli, Pulu, T-Pole, Stowers, Martens, Bai, Taione.
Martin Johnson’s reign as England team manager started with a 39-13 victory over the Pacific Islanders at a 40 per cent empty Twickenham on Saturday, though the former lock will be the first to admit that there is still plenty to work on ahead of the bigger challenges of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in the coming weeks.
Johnson, who lifted the World Cup for England in 2003, handed debuts to five players in a new-look team. Man-of-the-match Delon Armitage, the London Irish’s full-back, had an untroubled defensive game, while his team-mate Nick Kennedy marked his international bow with a try. The second-row scored England’s penultimate try only four minutes into the second half – he has only cross the whitewash once for his club.
Ugo Monye, the Harlequins winger, did not score on his debut but his mazy run assisted Danny Cipriani’s try late in the first half, while Riki Flutey, the Wasps centre who qualified for British citizenship in the summer, was solid in defence and showed glimpses of why he was voted players’ player of last season. The Maori-born 28-year-old’s pass was key to England’s first try, scored on 15 minutes following fly-half Cipriani’s penalty six minutes earlier. Flutey’s fizzed miss-pass found Armitage who lobbed inside to winger Paul Sackey, who ran in his ninth try for his country. He would later score his tenth.
The Pacific Islanders, made up of the cream of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, had never before played against England but hit back almost immediately. Cipriani’s clearance kick in his own 22 was charged down by outside centre Seru Rabeni, who followed up to score.
Despite that conceded try blotting his copy book, Cipriani linked well scrum-half Danny Care and the 21-year olds, who only had five caps between them before kick-off, will be crucial for England’s evolution.
Cipriani make amends for his sloppy mistake by supporting Monye’s run and, after taking the pass, scored three minutes before the interval. Monye, 25, had dashed impressively from his own 22 and shipped to the Wasps No10 when he was eventually caught. Cipriani converted his own try, two of 19 points in a near-perfect kicking game – he missed one conversion from the touchline. Pierre Hola’s penalty on the stroke of half-time took the score to 20-10.
Four minutes after the break Kennedy caught a line out, dropped it to Care, who raced through the gap, and collected the return to gleefully belly-flop over the try line. The Pacific Islanders scored a penalty through substitute Seremaia Martens with 25 minutes remaining, but that was to be their last score of the afternoon.
With 13 minutes left Lee Mears, the Bath hooker, made the most of the visitors’ fatigue and bundled over for a converted score in between the posts. He was later replaced for another debutant, Dylan Hartley, 22, of Northampton Saints. Sackey added another try with five minutes to go to take the score to a flattering 39-13.
ENGLAND
Tries: Sackey (2), Cipriani, Kennedy an Mears
Conversions: Cipriani 4 (5)
Penalties: Cipriani 2 (2)
PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Tries: Rabeni
Conversions: Hola 1 (1)
Penalties: Hola 1 (2), Bai 1 (1)
England: Armitage, Sackey, Noon, Flutey, Monye, Cipriani, Care, Sheridan, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick, Kennedy, Croft, Rees, Easter.
Replacements: Hartley, Vickery, Palmer, Haskell, Lipman, Ellis, Flood.
Pacific Islanders: Ratuvou, Tagicakibau, Rabeni, Mapusua, Delasau, Hola, Rauluni, Va'a, Lutui, Johnston, Levi, Leawere, Naevo, Latu, Maka.
Replacements: Koto Vuli, Pulu, T-Pole, Stowers, Martens, Bai, Taione.
Labels: England, Martin Johnson, Pacific Islanders, Rugby Football Union
