Congrats Ollie and Craig!

[Admin]

Well done Ollie and Craig who have been selected for the England Counties team who start a three-match tour of Spain on June 1.

Info posted on the Everything Rugby site. Story and full England Counties line-up at:

www.everythingrugby.com/rugby-news14713-england-counties-spread-their-net-wide.html

[James Hopkins]

Ollie mentioned taking pain killers for a bad back on Fb last week, wonder if he's fit enough.

[observer]

England Counties arrive in Spain

www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/News_Article.asp?nid=502

[observer]

Ollie & Craig in the starting 15 tomorrow:
www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/News_Article.asp?nid=504

[billesleynomad]

Congrats to both. Let's hope a good tour with the Counties XV helps Ollie find a more settled position on our team sheet next season.

[James Hopkins]

settled position = 10 for me

[billesleynomad]

That's what i'm hoping. Wasted on the wing!

[observer]

England Counties open Spanish tour with emphatic win
04/06/11 by Tony Simpson www.northmidsrfu.co.uk

ENGLAND Counties launched their three-match tour to Spain with an eight-try demolition of a Madrid XV, their 53-24 success containing some quality moments laced with the inevitable disjointed moments which invariably beset a side coming together for the first time.

Though the squad has been impressive in it preparations, match conditions against a sturdy and determined Madrid side present a much sterner test of cohesion and understanding, but coaches Dave Baldwin and Jan Bonney have plenty of positives to take from this first outing.
"I thought we gave a workmanlike performance," said Manager Mike Old: "Everybody on the team has made a positive contribution. There were a couple of bits and piece in the continuity department that were disappointing, but for a first game we did very well."

The Counties took an early grip on proceedings and always looked the more dangerous of the two sides throughout the first-half.

A first-minute penalty by fly-half Ollie Thomas was followed on 15 minutes by a try from centre Tom Hughes, the forwards putting Madrid under pressure with a tremendous driving maul and Thomas supplying the pass which allowed the Lancashire player to drive through for a try that Thomas converted.

Fly-half Santiago Fernandez cut the deficit with a penalty for the home side, but a great piece of work by skipper Gareth Collins on the half-hour extended the Counties lead.

Collins contribution began when he chased back to gather a dangerous kick and chase by the Madrid backs. He then found space on the flank to launch a counter attack and when his team-mates developed his initiative, he was on hand to collect a slick back-handed pass from Thomas and gallop through the remnants of the defence for a try.

Thomas was again the provider on 35 minutes, his precise crossfield kick being gathered by wingman Curtis Wilson, who had the strength to drive through the tackler for a try at the corner.

The sin-binning of flanker Tom Stradwick gave Madrid some momentum as the game moved into injury time and they managed a forward drive that ended in a try by lock forward Bartolo Durand, that Fernandez converted to leave the half-time score at 20-10.

The second-half brought a further five tries for the tourists, who showed flashes of quality punctuated by a couple of defensive lapses that brought the home side tries through Aldo Guidi and Sergio Fernandez, Santiago Fernandez converting both.

There was never any threat to the Counties dominance once scrum-half Harry Peck hd launched the second-half onslaught with a smart solo burst after 46 minutes, Thomas converting and though progress was curbed with a yellow card for prop Martin Kent, the Counties were never under pressure.

Prop Craig Voisey, centre Steve Hamilton, wingman Ollie Brennand and flanker Tom Strudwick took the try tally to eight, with Thomas finishing with 13 points from a penalty and five conversions.

England Counties XV (v Madrid XV in Madrid, Saturday, June 4, 2011, ko 6pm): Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire); Curtis Wilson (Leeds & Yorkshire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Steve Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire); Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Harry Peck (Tynedale & Northumberland); Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets & Cheshire), Martin Kent (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Tom Stradwick (Henley & Kent), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Ben Sparks (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire).
Replacements (all used): Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Aaron Penberthy (Redruth & Cornwall), Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing & Cheshire) Sin bin: Stradwick 42; Kent 57

Madrid XV: P Pereyra; P Palacios, L Barbarit, B Villalba, C Molina; S Fernandez (capt), J Santos; G Sabe, J Anaya, A Onega, B Durand, S Pingica, M Ramierez, A Tostao, A Blanco.
Replacements: A Guidi, A Torres, J Garcia, P Cvenca, S Fernandez.

Referee: J Mourinha (Portugal)

[nev2214]

Ollie, provider and executioner. Its what we need to hear. Well done Ollie and Craig, keep up the good work!!!!

[Rich]

Yes, apparently he can play at 10, who'd have thunk it!?

[tex]

Good to see another link to Mose with Jan Bonney a player from The Reddings days coaching the side.

[observer]

[observer]

Ollie & Craig in starting line up for Counties v Spain

www.northmidsrfu.co.uk/News_Article.asp?nid=514

England Counties reshuffle for Spain finale
10/06/11 by Tony Simpson
ENGLAND Counties take their evolving selection process into the final game of their three match tour to Spain by making another batch of changes for the game against Spain in Valladolid tomorrow (Saturday, June 11, 6pm kick off local time).

The starting line-up for the Test shows nine changes to the one which faced Madrid in the opening game and eight adjustments to the team which beat Castilla Leon heavily in mid-week. With only four players from the previous outing in Dublin in March, 15 who have never worn an England Counties jersey before and representatives of 22 different clubs and 12 different counties, establishing the optimum Test combination has been a major challenge, even using the two regional matches as trials.

"Selection was extremely tough, with a lot of people putting their hands up for inclusion. I'm very disappointed for the guys who missed out. We have a number of very disappointed players at the moment, including some who are sat on the bench, but that is what I would expect from people wanting to put on an England shirt." said Manager Mike Old: "I'm very happy with the selection and the balance of the team. I think we've got a lot of mobility, plus some physicality.


"We're aware that Spain will try to impose themselves on us early, but I think we have the ability to impose ourselves first. We have a very strong spine of players. I would expect leaders like Ollie Thomas and Gareth Collins in the backs, and Craig Voisey, Steve Pape and Rob Baldwin in the pack to come to the fore and take us forward.

"We've seen how hard Spanish teams come out of the blocks and there's no doubt that they see themselves as a physical side. That makes it important for us to establish ourselves very early."

One person who is in the team, Cornish lock forward Steve Pape, captures why it is so important.

"I'm absolutely delighted," says the big man from Rosslyn Park and Somerset: "This is the highlight of my career. To play a full international team in a beautiful location like this – it's the best rugby has to offer. That said, getting picked is only the first part of the process.

"Now we come to the hard bit of winning and I'm looking forward to that challenge and to expressing myself. To some extent pulling on the shirt is the easy bit – the difficult part is winning in the shirt and playing to the best of your ability.

"In years to come we want to be able to look at that shirt and remember a victory. And when we meet up as friends in 10 years time or whenever, we want to be able to talk about the day we turned over Spain. Looking at the shirt in years to come and thinking 'we should have won' will be a regret.

"I think we're well prepared and ready. We've had an excellent couple of weeks together.

"We hit the ground running in our first session in driving rain in London and we've just finished our preparations in warm sunshine in Spain. "The lads have bonded very quickly and there are some great individuals involved in a group where everyone is singing from the same song-sheet. Now we're all itching for kick-off time tomorrow."

England Counties (v Spain in Valladolid, Saturday, June 11, 6pm kick-off local time): Fergus Mulchrone (Cheshire); Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire) capt, Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing Trailfinders & Cheshire), Stephen Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Cameron Mitchell (Plymouth Albion & North Midlands); Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire); Gavin Woods (Caldy & Cheshire), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets/Macclesfield), Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Rob Baldwin (Wharfedale & Yorkshire) capt Replacements: Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Tom Stradwick (Henley Hawks & Kent), Jimmy Williams (Birmingham and Solihull & Gloucestershire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire).

[kingsheathlad]

Result English Counties 55 Spain 6.

[billesleynomad]

Match report from Northmids site:

Counties complete clean sweep in Spain
11/06/11 by Tony Simpson
Spain 6 England Counties 55

ENGLAND Counties completed their fifth successive summer tour clean sweep when they claimed another international Test scalpby beating Spain in Valladolid.

The Counties scored seven tries and keep their lines intact in a performance that grew from a moderate first-half effort into a dominant display after the interval which was decorated with some clinical work that the resolute Spanish could not contain.

Spain managed a brace of penalties by scrum-half Santiago Fernandez, but they never threatened a try as the tourists kept their shape for 80 minutes.

The Counties side could scarcely have wished for a better start, centre Steve Hamilton scoring at the posts and fly-half Ollie Thomas converting after three minutes after flanker Aaron Myers had latched onto a handling error by the home side.

Scrum-half Santiago Fernandez and Thomas then exchanged penalties as the territorial battle fluctuated, but good work by flankers Myers and Jack Preece then produced an opening for scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone and he burst through at the posts, Thomas adding the conversion.



Fernandez and Thomas were again on the mark with penalties as both sides lost players to the sin-bin, Preece for the Counties and hooker Daniel Marron for Spain both spending the mandatory spell on the sidelines for killing the ball on the ground.

At 20-6 at the break, the Counties needed to develop more continuity and coherence in the second-half and rid themselves of the frenetic moments which undid some of their first-half opportunities and gave Spain all the encouragement they needed to maintain their energy levels.

After the interval, however, the Counties began to build with more precision and as they worked the ball through phases of play rather that solo moments, the tries began to flow and Spain gradually fell away.

A neat solo burst by fly-half Thomas ended in a 43rd minute try that he converted and as the Counties began to play a controlled game, they pulled away with a second try from Charlie Mulchrone, wingman Gareth Collins, No 8 Rob Baldwin and lock Ben Hilton, Thomas converting all three to take te tally past the half-century mark.

"Our performance was very good in parts and at other times we got drawn into some battles we didn't need to be in," said Manager Michael Old: "The commitment was there to win the ball, every ruck was hit, every ball was won and tries were scored. "

Said RFU Junior Vice-President Paul Murphy, who has been with the tour: "It's been a fabulous tour and the last 20 minutes of this match, which involved some superb rugby, was the product of the hard work by the players and the coaches over the two weeks. Those closing minutes brought some wonderful rugby as everything they had worked on on the training ground came together."

"I was pleased wit the last 20 minites when we played some brilliant rug by and scored some fine tries," said Coach Dave Baldwin: "This has been an exceptional tour from Day One and to win a Test match against Spain is the perfect culmination to the trip. They are a great bucn of lads who have trained really hard, been a pleasure to be with and fully deserve this win."


England Counties: Fergus Mulchrone (Cheshire); Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire) capt, Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing Trailfinders & Cheshire), Stephen Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Cameron Mitchell (Plymouth Albion & North Midlands); Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire); Gavin Woods (Caldy & Cheshire), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets/Macclesfield), Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Rob Baldwin (Wharfedale & Yorkshire) capt
Replacements all used: Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Tom Stradwick (Henley Hawks & Kent), Jimmy Williams (Birmingham and Solihull & Gloucestershire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire), Martin Kent (Macclesfield & Cheshire)

Spain: Ignacio Gutierrez; Manuel Capdeville, Nicholas Marshall, Corey Smith, Ryan Leroux; Andoni Jorajuria, Santiago Fernandez (capt); Alberto Rocha, Daniel Marron, Mattin Auzqui, Anibal Bonan, Tom Parker, David Barrera, Rafael Matt, Alejandro Ortega.

Referee: Mr Dudley Phillips (IRFU)

[observer]

footage of the final game v Spain. Try, 7 conversions and 2 penalties for Ollie:

www.emisionesdeportivas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=590:espana-england-counties&catid=28:partidos&Itemid=17