It wasn’t the prettiest game of rugby, in damp muddy conditions at Kingsholm, but some questions will have been answered for both Joe Schmidt and Stuart Lancaster.

ENGLAND ‘A’ 8 vs 14 IRELAND ‘A’
Saturday, January 25, 17:00 GMT, Gloucester

A poor start from England saw Isaac Boss stroll over nearly untouched from a rolling maul, with both Luke Wallace and Freddie Burns guilty of indecision. This would prove somewhat ominous, as neither showed well over the whole of the match.

After a long period of stagnation an unsympathetic pass from Felix Jones ricocheted off the hands of Craig Gilroy straight into those of Anthony Watson, and the Bath flyer strolled over for an easy try. Burns’ woes continued as the conversion found the right uprights, leaving Ireland in front by 2. The experience of the Irish collective was taking hold, however, and Madigan took a quick tap from a free kick close to the line, stepped past Calum Clark, and wriggled his way over for a try, converting himself to extend the lead to two scores.

A penalty goal from Burns halfway through the second period was the only remaining score, though the Saxons made it interesting at the death. After several phases replacement Rob Miller came within a whisker of the tryline, but Burns attempted an ill-fated pick-and-go from the ruck and instead of diving into the corner he lost the ball into touch.

It was a bizarre decision given the 6 point deficit and his poor kicking form up until that point, and marked the end of a disappointing evening from the Gloucester flyhalf. He seems an age away from his eye-catching efforts of a year ago, and one can only hope that Richard Cockerill can instill some confidence in him at Tigers, because it appears this season, at least, is a write-off.

England’s team strategy was a bit strange. It was clear that they had intended to play an expansive game, with Wallace spending more time out on the wing than in the trenches, and when it became clear that the Irish were more prepared to play the conditions England had no Plan B.

Calum Clark’s supposed leadership skills were non-existent, and in fact his performance as a whole once again made his EPS selection look gratuitous. Lancaster has proved a shrewd selector for the most part but Clark’s continued inclusion in England squads is perplexing at best and bordering on nepotism.

Anthony Watson looked handy with his limited chances, and though Dave Ewers didn’t really shine he didn’t look out of place either, but it was the reserves who impressed for Saxons. Dave Ward, Sam Dickinson, and Rob Miller were all excellent, with each deserving to start against Scotland ‘A’ next Friday.

The experience of the Wolfhounds was evident throughout, and under the direction of Boss and Madigan they played their hand well. The latter especially looked lively and may have earned himself a spot on the bench in the senior side. Though Boss was named man-of-the-match, a title probably best given to Madigan, one can’t help but feel that an opportunity to give more significant game time to young Kieran Marmion was missed.

The Irish back row outplayed their counterparts to a man, with Tommy O’Donnell acting industriously and Robin Copeland showing no concern with the step-up in competition. Both Iain Henderson and Dan Tuohy made positive impacts at lock, and Richardt Strauss enjoyed his return to the green jersey, though he is probably still a good couple of weeks behind in terms of match fitness.

Robbie Henshaw was effective at centre, and of the wingers Simon Zebo looked the most likely to earn an immediate recall for the Six Nations. Craig Gilroy made a couple mistakes and looked tentative at times, while Fergus McFadden is a workmanlike option rather than a game breaker. Darren Cave, for all his talking, remains a limited player, strong in defense but with few strings in his attacking arsenal.

SCORING
04 mins – I. Boss try 0-5
05 mins – I. Madigan con 0-7
23 mins – A. Watson try 5-7
29 mins – I. Madigan try 5-12
29 mins – I. Madigan con 5-14
63 mins – F. Burns pen 8-14

SAXONS
E. Daly; A. Watson, M. Hopper (R. Miller HT), S. Hill (H. Slade 30), C. Sharples; F. Burns, J. Simpson (D. Lewis 74); A. Waller (N. Catt 61), J. George (D. Ward 64), T. Mercey (S. Wilson HT); C. Matthews (E. Stooke 50), G. Kruis; C. Clark (capt.), L. Wallace, D. Ewers (S. Dickinson 50).

WOLFHOUNDS
F. Jones; F. McFadden, R. Henshaw (I. Keatley 61), D. Cave, C. Gilroy (S. Zebo 50); I. Madigan, I Boss (K. Marmion 69); D. Kilcoyne (J. McGrath 50), R. Herring (R. Strauss HT), M. Moore (S. Archer 50); I. Henderson (R. Diack 69), D. Tuohy; R. Ruddock (capt.), T. O’Donnell (J. Murphy 61), R. Copeland.

Referee: I. Davies (WRU)
Assistants: W. Davies (WRU) & J. Mason (WRU)
TMO: G. Simmonds (WRU)