With seven matches unbeaten and their last time under the banner of Ireland A, the boys in green were out and out favourites for this game, but revenge was in the air for last years losers of the Churchill Cup.

Shane Geraghty was on form for the Saxons’  second try,  two conversions and a penalty earned the Saxons a solid hard working win along with David Strettle’s try.

Paddy Wallace’s two first half penalties and Chris Henry’s  (a late replacement for Niall Ronan) try converted by Wallace ensured this was going to be a full on match!

The Saxons spent much of the second half defending but couldn’t make it count after spending much of the last 15 minutes in the Saxons 22.

The action was part of the Churchill Cup which saw the two teams clash in the final. Before this, the Irish had played against Georgia in another action packed game.

The star of the game was undoubtedly Fergus McFadden who was called an inspiration by the rest of the team. He bettered his two tries in the last game by ensuring that he got three conversions and ensured a safe penalty during the clash against the Saxons. The Irish A team scored six tries in all with Isaac Boss, Sean Cronin, John Muldoon, Johnne Murphy, Devin Toner and Felix Jones all placing the ball on the right side of the try line.

On the day the Irish just proved too strong for the Saxons who seemed to be taken by surprise, when it came to the intensity of play of their opposition. This is the first time that the Irish have lifted the Churchill cup and in so doing they have ended a two year run by the Saxons. The final score saw the Irish trounce the Saxons by 49 points to 22.

This certainly is proving to be a great year for Irish rugby and who knows what else they will win during the course of the year.

IRELAND ‘A’: Felix Jones (Seapoint/Leinster); Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht), Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Neil Best (Northampton Saints) (capt), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster).

Replacements used: Niall O’Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) for Henry (44 mins), John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht) for O’Connor (52), Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Cronin (63), Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster) for Healy, Trevor Hogan (Blackrock College/Leinster) for Toner, Simon Keogh (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for Boss, James Downey (Northampton Saints) for Matthews (all 75).

ENGLAND SAXONS: Nick Abendanon (Bath); Noah Cato (Saracens), Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Tom Varndell (Leicester Tigers); Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons); David Flatman (Bath), Rob Webber (London Wasps), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Stuart Hooper (Bath), Nick Kennedy (London Irish), Phil Dowson (Newcastle Falcons) (capt), Ben Woods (Leicester Tigers), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).

Replacements used: Dean Schofield (Sale Sharks) for Hooper (54 mins), Tom Guest (Harlequins) for Narraway, Tom Mercey (Saracens) for Cole (both 56), Danny Cipriani (London Wasps) for Myler, Shane Geraghty (London Irish) for Barritt (both 60), Joe Simpson (London Wasps) for Young (65), Joe Ward (London Wasps) for Webber (70).

Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)

As kick-off approached England players refused to take to the pitch due to it being frozen in parts. As a direct result of this pressure Jerome Garces ruled that had no option but to cancel the game – this occurred a minute before the scheduled 7.35pm kick-off.

An hour before the pitch had been declared playable by the referee and both coaches.

IRELAND WOMEN v FRANCE WOMEN, Ashbourne RFC, 7.30pm (please note change of venue)

IRELAND WOMEN: Joanne O’Sullivan (Richmond/Ulster); Jeannette Feighery (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lynne Cantwell (UL Bohemians/Munster), Helen Brosnan (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster); Niamh Briggs (Clonmel/Munster), Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Yvonne Nolan (Blackrock/Leinster), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Caroline Mahon (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Orla Brennan (Blackrock/Leinster), Louise Austin (Blackrock/Leinster), Sinead Ryan (Blackrock/Leinster), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).
Replacements: Jess Limbert (Cooke/Ulster), Emer McManamly (Blackrock/Leinster), Kate O’Loughlin (Clonmel/Munster), Clare Molloy (Cardiff Harlequins/Connacht), Louise Beamish (UL Bohemians/Munster), Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster), Grace Davitt (Blackrock/Leinster).

FRANCE WOMEN: Caroline Ladagnous (Lons); Laetitia Esteve (Montpellier), Elodie Poublan (Montpellier), Christelle Le Duff (Toulouges), Cathy Langenfeld (Toulouges); Aurelie Bailon (Toulouges), Stephanie Provost (Caen); Clotilde Flaugere (Dijon), Cyndia Mansard (St. Orens), Stephanie Loyer (Bobigny), Sandra Rabier (Caen) (capt), Cyrielle Bouisset (Toulouges), Amandine Vaupre (Caen), Marie Charlotte Hebel (Toulouges), Claire Canal (Richmond).
Replacements: Laetitia Salles (Toulouges), Celine Barthelemy (Stade Bordelais), Nadege Labbey (Caen), Melanie Gauffinet (Bayonne), Jennifer Troncy (Montpellier), Aurore Sobolak (Caen), Marie Alice Yahe (Toulouges).

Referee: David Jones (Wales)

‘A’ INTERNATIONAL MATCH: Friday, February 6

IRELAND ‘A’ v ENGLAND SAXONS, Donnybrook, 7.35pm

Chris Keane is a late call-up to replace Isaac Boss who has been ruled out due to a minor illness.

IRELAND ‘A’: Gavin Duffy (Galwegians – Connacht); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena – Ulster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers – Connacht), Mark McCrea (Malone – Ulster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College – Leinster), Eoin Reddan (London Wasps); Cian Healy (Clontarf – Leinster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers – Connacht), Mike Ross (Harlequins), Bob Casey (London Irish) (capt), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon – Ulster), Neil Best (Northampton), Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College – Leinster), John Muldoon (Galwegians – Connacht).
Replacements: John Fogarty (Clontarf – Leinster), John Andress (Exeter), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster), Sean O’Brien (Clontarf – Leinster), Chris Keane (Old Belvedere – Leinster), Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster), Barry Murphy (UL Bohemians – Munster).

ENGLAND SAXONS: Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby); Topsy Ojo (London Irish), Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby); Danny Cipriani (London Wasps), Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers) or Paul Hodgson (London Irish); Matthew Mullan (Worcester Warriors), David Paice (London Irish), Dave Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers), George Skivington (London Wasps) (capt), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Will Skinner (Harlequins), Tom Guest (Harlequins)
Replacements: Rob Webber (London Wasps), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Stuart Hooper (Bath Rugby), Phil Dowson (Newcastle Falcons), Paul Hodgson (London Irish) or Joe Simpson (London Wasps), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), David Strettle (Harlequins).

Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Touch Judges: Stephane Pomarede, Jerome Lamirand (both France)
Television Match Official: Marc Desclaux (France)

UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, February 6

IRELAND UNDER-20s v FRANCE UNDER-20s, Dubarry Park, 7.30pm

IRELAND U-20: Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster); David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ian McKinley (UCD/Leinster), Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Michael Keating (Clontarf/Leinster); Andrew Burke (Garryowen/Munster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Thomas Sexton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jack O’Connell (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ciaran Ruddock (Neath/Exiles), Mark Flanagan (UCD/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Milfield School/Exiles), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt).
Replacements: David McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch/Ulster), James Sandford (Queens University/Ulster), Michael Noone (Seapoint & Lansdowne/Leinster), John Cooney (UCD/Leinster), Gary Foley (Blackrock College/Leinster), Mark Doyle (UL Bohemians/Munster).

FRANCE U-20: Sofiane Guitoune (Agen); Nicolas Vaysse (Toulouse), Guillaume Namy (Brive), Laurent Tranier (Biarritz Olympique), Jeremy Sinzelle (Toulon); Pierre Bernard (Bayonne), Florian Cazenave (Perpignan); Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Jean Charles Orioli (Toulon), Thomas Lebrequier (Biarritz Olympique), Russland Boukerou (Toulouse), Mickael De Marco (Montpellier), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne) (capt), Loan Goujon (Clermont Auvergne), Benoit Guyot (Stade Francais).
Replacements: Vincent Colliat (Lyon), Thomas Dubois (Colomiers), Vincent Mutel (Pau), Jeremy Guillot (Bourgoin), Ludovic Radosavlejic (Clermont Auvergne), Geoffrey Doumeyrou (Montpellier), Romain Lombard (Chalon).

Referee: David Bodilly (Wales)
Touch Judges: Simon Harris, Chris Williams (both Wales)

IRELAND ‘A’ TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v England Saxons, ‘A’ International Match, Donnybrook, Friday, February 6, kick-off 7.35pm):

15 - Gavin Duffy (Galwegians – Connacht)

14 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena – Ulster)

13 - Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)*

12 - Keith Matthews (Buccaneers – Connacht)*

11 - Mark McCrea (Malone – Ulster)*

10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College – Leinster)*

9 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps)

1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf – Leinster)*

2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers – Connacht)*

3 - Mike Ross (Harlequins)*

4 - Bob Casey (London Irish) (capt)

5 - Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon – Ulster)*

6 - Neil Best (Northampton)

7 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College – Leinster)

8 - John Muldoon (Galwegians – Connacht)*

Replacements:

16 - John Fogarty (Clontarf – Leinster)*
17 - John Andress (Exeter)*
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
19 - Sean O’Brien (Clontarf – Leinster)*
20 - Isaac Boss (Ballymena – Ulster)

21 - Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster)*

22 - Barry Murphy (UL Bohemians – Munster)

*denotes uncapped players