Page 24 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
24

2019 Carbery’s Knee Injury England Begin World Cup Warm Up
With Convincing Win Against Wales
14th, England’s World Cup preparations began with a comprehen-

August Overshadows Ireland’s sive 33-19 victory at Twickenham that ended Wales’ 14-Test win-
ning run.
The triumph was deliveredagainst Warren Gatland’s strongest
| World Cup Warm-Up available side which numbered 13 starters from the Grand Slam-
EXAMINER from climbing to the top of the global rankings.
clinching victory over Ireland in March and prevented the visitors

An experimental England team established a 24-7 lead through
tries by Billy Vunipola, Joe Cokanasiga and Luke Cowan-Dickie
IRISH that survived touchdowns from George North and Wyn Jones.
George Ford, captain in the absence of Owen Farrell, finished
with 15 points in a perfect afternoon from the tee and there was
the successful return from a 17-month Achilles injury lay-off for
Anthony Watson.
Wales have not won at Twickenham since the last World Cup
and never looked like ending that run to spoil the occasion of skip-
per Alun Wyn Jones becoming his nation’s most capped player.
The rivals’ first Test of the summer was played at a frenetic
pace and the physicality took its toll as the outstanding Tom
Curry departed in the first half nursing a damaged shoulder and
was followed off by Wales playmaker Gareth Anscombe, who
had an issue with his right knee.
Curry’s injury was particularly worrying after fellow openside
Sam Underhill was withdrawn from the starting XV because of a
toe injury.
Underhill was one of three players to pull out on the eve of the
match,contributingtoadisruptedbuild-upthatalsosawBenTe’o
and Mike Brown removed from contention after clashing during
a social event in Treviso last week.
oey Carbery suffered a all crossed as an experimen- flesh wound. But there was no evidence of squad tension as England made a
knee injury scare as tal Ireland line-up secured a Giulio Bisegni’s cute grub- bulldozing start with Vunipola following up a muscular carry
JIreland eased past Italy routine Aviva Stadium victo- ber kick caught out Jordan with a second that somehow ended with him touching down
29-10 in their first World ry. Larmour in Ireland’s back- despite being surrounded by red shirts.
Cup warm-up match in Maxime Mbanda and field, and Carlo Canna Curry, Cokanasiga and Watson also made early dents and
Dublin. Carlo Canna bagged first-half reached the bouncing ball
Fly-half Carbery will face tries as Italy exploited first, to double the visitors’ when Curry charged down a sluggish clearance by Gareth Davies,
an anxious wait to discover Ireland’s pre-season ring- try count. a second try beckoned.
whether the new knee con- rustiness. Finally Ireland approached It was almost scored by Willi Heinz and the Gloucester captain
cern will dent his World Cup Chris Farrell increased his something resembling a should have passed to Jonathan Joseph, but England were just
hopes. chances of World Cup travel rhythm, stringing the phases inches short and Cokanasiga drove over.
Premier playmaker with a smart showing at together deep in Azzurri ter- Watson saved a certain try by scything down Justin Tipuric as
Johnny Sexton is expected to inside center, but beyond ritory. Wales staged a thrilling counter-attack through Anscombe and
be fit shortly following a that Ireland’s coaching team Dave Kearney made that raid had the effect of stirring the Six Nations champions.
thumb strain, but Ireland can were not handed many new amends for his early howler England had a hand in their 24th-minute try, however, as
ill afford to lose either of selection headaches. with a neat finish in the left VunipolaandHeinzpartedwhenDaviesbrokefromascrumnear
their main backline pivots. Ireland were sloppy from corner, that owed everything the halfway line and the scrum-half sprinted ahead before evading
Ireland will open their the start, a curious Carbery to Garry Ringrose’s pass out Elliot Daly to cross.
World Cup by taking on crossfield bomb from his of the tackle. It enabled But for greater accuracy at the final pass, Wales would have
Scotland on September 22, so own 22 an unusual – and Larmour to fire out wide, scored again as England endured the familiar sight of their early
any significant knee issue unsuccessful – exit strategy. and Kearney junior did the onslaught running out of gas.
now would threaten Dave Kearney then rest. A disastrous line-out undid much of the visitors’ good work as
Carbery’s participation in botched a nailed-on try, Andrew Conway walked
Japan. knocking on at the white- in a third at the death of the Ken Owens sent the ball over the hands of Alun Wyn Jones and
Connacht’s Jack Carty and wash when attempting to half, to leave Ireland leading into the path of hooker Cowan-Dickie, who scored an oppor-
Leinster’s Ross Byrne would scoop up Carbery’s hack 19-10 at the interval. tunist’s try.
be the men to understudy through. Number eight Jordi The lead grew to 24-7 through a Ford penalty but England
British and Irish Lions fly- Italy struck first then, con- Murphy capped a driven line- werepickedaparttooeasilyataline-out,enablingNorthtopower
half Sexton in Japan, should verting a driven lineout out for Ireland’s fourth try, in across the whitewash from short range.
Carbery miss out through when the aggressive Mbanda a solid second-half opening. The tide was turning, hastened by England giving away a suc-
injury. dived home. Both sides meandered cession of penalties, and on Wales’ next attack they hustled their
New Zealand-born Carbery quickly leveled through an utterly-forget- way upfield before for replacement prop Wyn Jones to score.
Carbery offers Ireland added up the try count, cantering table third quarter, save for Two further Ford penalties calmed home nerves, but the
selection flexibility though, home through the 12 channel that worrying injury to tempo of the match had dropped noticeably in the final quarter
with the ability to cover full- having traded places in Carbery. until carries from Vunipola and Manu Tuilagi provided inspira-
back, and even center at a Ireland’s backline with Replacement scrum-half tion.
push. Farrell. Marmion charged down Test Ben Youngs had a try disallowed for a clear forward pass from
Carbery, Dave Kearney, But just when Ireland debutant and Italy counter- Cowan-Dickie, meaning Daly’s drop-goal was the last meaningful
Andrew Conway, Jordi expected to pull away, the part Callum Braley to claim act of the afternoon. C
Murphy and Kieran Marmion Italians inflicted another the hosts’ fifth score. C