ENGLAND vs FRANCE OCTOBER 18TH 2003 MONTARGIS
Match Report written by Howard Gilbert

With their England colleagues doing battle in a steamy hot house evening in the World Cup in Australia, another England rugby team were taking on their old foes France, in the leafy Autumn stadium of Stade Champfleuri in Montargis, near Paris.

However, this was England’s newest International side, the England Deaf Rugby Union playing their first ever competitive match yet alone their inaugral international.

Like all Internationals this had all the pre-match tension, the marching bands, handshakes from civic and rugby dignitaries, as well as, those two stirring National anthems.

Preliminaries over the French kicked off on a bright crisp autumn afternoon. The first 5 minutes saw early French pressure against some understandable nervous but essentially solid tackling with captain Richard Jackson leading by example from No 8. It soon became apparent that the French tactic was to use their big forwards in rucks and mauls to drive on and catch the English infringing offside. This saw England concede several penalties one of which was converted to give France a lead of 3-0.

The alternative French play was to drive the ball down with the line and seek to win the lineouts. This better French organisation started to bring results with their captain and No 8 Prunier involved in leading many charges at the England defence and generally making life difficult.
England were trying to support one another against the bigger and heavier scrum and the back row flankers Barnes and Pruce constantly hassled at the breakdowns and salvaged some scraps for the backs. England outside half Gavin Jackson tried to set up Doyle and Gilbert for the centres to penetrate the midfield but for most part the threequarters were on the back foot from the difficult French pack. This persistent French pressure led to a second French penalty after 20 minutes, which was also converted to give France a 6-0 lead.

England also put their first points on the score board when Gavin Jackson was rewarded at his second penalty attempt.

The French continued to use their big men to drive at England and the English front five tackled everything that came at them. Millership, Pothecray and Taylor never afraid to lay their bodies on the line in the England cause, with locks Phinney and Valentine doing much unseen work to stem the French attacks. However this led to further French penalty awards which went unpunished as full back Semelainge was unable to convert. The constant French pressure led to Valentine to retire with injury but replacement McAllister was soon in the fray.

The French lineouts were proving difficult to disrupt but the England pack constantly harrassed leading to full back Dalziel seizing an opportunity and his illusive run showed the French that the English backs were real threat. In the final period before half time England pressed and worked some useful back moves that moved wingers Brown and Ledgard into action. At half time England had to be the happier team with individuals starting to work together despite being the wrong side of a 6-3 deficit. It had been an encouraging start but nerves settled and a resolved England steeled themselves for the second half.

It was no surprise that the French commenced the second period playing 10 man rugby and keeping the ball amongst their big pack. This brought a dividend of a try following a French lineout close to Englands try when they rolled a mass of French bodies over the line for a try that was not converted (11-3)

Englands heads did not drop and their own lineout play improved with Hooker Pothecray finding his skipper R Jackson jumping at NO2. Using the ball gathered from those front ball lineouts scrum half Everett tried to get his threequarters away but the English backs never saw enough clean ball to set up any moves. Some of the French pressure was releived when French captain Prunier pulled a hamstring and retired from the fray to be replacement by Marchand. The skipper had been a dominant force in the game and his retirement gave greater room to the English backs.

The French continued to use their forwards as the platform and the French backs were getting possesion their English counterparts could only dream of, but the English backline harried and tackled and stiffled all serious threats in the French backs. Althgough the greatest threat to England appeared to be cramp with several players starting to suffer.

The French continued to catch England players infringing at rucks and mauls and gain penalties.
It was one of those occasions that saw the most bizzare incident of the match. France elected to take the penalty at goal. The penalty was taken and missed but the referee indicated some England players had moved forward as the kick was taken. Instead of retaking the kick at goal the French full back now kicked the ball to touch. From the resulting French lineout on the English 5 metre line the French rolled the maul over the line for a fortunate try. The was unconverted so with the score at 16-3 England sought to raise spirits, games and the cramping legs that kept Physio Sara Taylor busy in the closing minutes of the game. This nearly saw England get the try they deserved when a good passing move in the backs saw full back Dalzeil run round the French backs to score by the corner flag. The celebration of the squad and England supporters in the 500 strong crowd was soon muted as the touch judge had raised his flag for out in touch, thus England were denied their first try. No further play was possible as despite the many long stoppages in the 2nd half the referee called time at exactly 80 minutes.

The England players were disppointed but the reality showed a magnificent performance in adversity. They had held the mighty French to a respectable score. The French squad had been together for 2 years and England had only trained together for 4 sessions and this was their first ever competitive match.

Head coach Geoff Atkinson told his men “ You were brillant out there – all of you. This was your first game and that score was nothing. This is just the start.” He went on to set down a marker for next year by saying “We are going to win that 4 Nations and we will beat the French when we return.” Few can doubt - the French opposition included - that it will be a better side that returns next time. Blooded in their first clash these English players will become an England Team. The team will improve in organisation both on and off the pitch to be formidable challengers for the IDRO 4 Nations Championship.