With the sides scoring one try apiece, it was the boot of Henry Slade that proved the difference, the Plymouth College and Exeter Chiefs fly half kicking four penalties and converting his club and country team mate Luke Cowan-Dickie’s try.
Leicester Tigers Academy lock Tom Price started the fixture, which was played at Sydney Grammar School.
His England Under-18s head coach John Fletcher said: “One year can make a big difference in age grade rugby. The Australians were a big side so we’re pleased with our performance and the boys will be better for it come Wednesday.
“Man for man they were bigger but we stuck together and I thought our pack was the dominant force in the game.”
England U18s
15 Jack Nowell (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs)
14 Marcus Webber (Manchester Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)
13 Sam Jones (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
12 Sam Hill (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
11 Jack Arnott (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
10 Henry Slade (Plymouth College & Exeter Chiefs)
9 James Lightfoot-Brown (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College & Exeter Rugby)
2 Tom Smallbone (Harrow & London Irish)
3 Danny Herriott (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)
4 Tom Price (Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I & Leicester Tigers)
5 Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry’s Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)
6 David Sisi (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
7 Matt Hankin (Haileybury College & Saracens)
8 Jack Clifford (RGS Guildford & Harlequins)
Replacements
16 Max Crumpton (Oaklands College & Saracens)
17 Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins)
18 George Sandford (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
19 Tom Jubb (Oaklands College & Saracens)
20 Joe Buckle (Bryanston & Bath Rugby)
21 Alex Day (St Joseph’s College & Northampton Saints)
22 Will Robinson (Twyford College & London Wasps)
23 Tom Stephenson (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)
Scorers: T Cowan-Dickie; P Slade 4; C Slade
Australia Academy U19s
15 Peter Schuster
14 Lindsay Crook
13 Malietoa Hingano
12 Con Foley
11 Blake Murray
10 Dion Taumata
9 Matthew Lucas
1 Gary Neugebauer
2 Hugh Roach
3 Oliver Hoskins
4 Jed Holloway
5 Steven Cummins (captain)
6 Luke Beauchamp
7 Boyd Killingworth
8 Jason Havea
Replacements
16 Timothy Reid
17 Michael Bermingham
18 Samuel Reiser
19 Tom Connor
20 Timothy Donlan
21 Stuart Dunbar
22 Leslie Makin
23 Mitchell Felsman
Scorers: T Neugebauer; P Taumata
