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Trio win with England tourists

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Tom Youngs, Graham Kitchener and Anthony Allen celebrated their second win of England's tour with a 57-31 victory over South Africa Barbarians North on Tuesday evening.

While younger brother Ben missed the final week of the tour with injury, hooker Tom Youngs was one of the stand-out performers his first senior start in an England shirt at Potchefstroom.

Kitchener also got through his work in the set-piece and in the loose, while centre Allen was a key man in the backline and provided one of the tries.

A first-half treble from full-back Nick Abendanon and a try from No8 Ben Morgan gave England a 31-10 advantage at half-time as the tourists looked to build on the 54-26 victory over the Southern Barbarians a week earlier.

But the Barbarians made a real fight of it in the second half, claiming two quickfire tries as England led by just seven points approaching the hour mark.

Replacement wing Jonny May gave England some breathing space with two tries shortly after the hour mark and then Allen capped a good night’s work with the team’s seventh try.

After one early penalty each, the hosts claimed the first try from Engelbrecht on the left and the conversion from Roos made it 10-3.

The England forwards set up an instant reply, providing the field position for Allen and Christian Wade to put Abendanon in on the left. Hodgson levelled the scores with the conversion.

Morgan then forced his way through as England led for the first time before Abendanon completed a hat-trick with two more well-taken tries just moments apart.

First, the full-back picked his way through the Barbarians backline to score under the posts and then he won the race to get the decisive touch following a break by May, on for the injured Ugo Monye.

Hodgson was on the mark with both conversions as England led 31-10 at the break, but the hosts provided some hope for a 9,437-strong crowd with a bright opening to the second period and scrum-half Venter scored two tries in the space of four minutes as they got back to 31-24.

Youngs and Kitchener were replaced on 55 minutes after promising outings, leaving Allen as the sole Leicester representative on the pitch.

And the Tigers played an incisive part in England’s next score, timing a pass perfectly for Abendanon who May away on the right for a smart finish in the corner.

Gloucester wing May was the man on the spot again in the 70th minute, picking up an offload from skipper George Robson to score his second. Hodgson added another touchline conversion to take the lead to 43-24 with nine minutes remaining.

Two minutes later Allen capitalised on good work from scrum-half Karl Dickson, picking up just short of the line and diving over to give Hodgson the chance of breaching the 50-point mark.

Scholz provided a final try for the hosts but England ended the match with a penalty try awarded at a scrum.