JUNIOR LIONS RUN RAMPANT

The Great Britain and Ireland Schools' Under 16 Junior Lions have cut a swathe through regional school sides in the first half of their six-match tour of South- East Queensland.

In their first game on Aussie soil on Saturday 10 July, the Junior Lions beat Brisbane South District 28-14. Four days later in Toowoomba they scored a big win over a Toowoomba selection, 36-4. Then it was on to Kingaroy for a Friday night game on 16 July, where they ran riot over Wide Bay South 48-6.

Monday night 19 July sees the Junior Lions take on a Capricornia selection at Rockhampton's Browne Park, before swinging south to Bundaberg for a clash with Wide Bay North three days later. The Junior Lions close their tour at Redcliffe Dolphins on Sunday 25 July, when they take on a Brisbane representative side.

According to Peter Dawson, chairman of the English Schools' Rugby League, the British Aerospace Junior Lions' tour of Queensland is the culmination of many years of commitment and dedicated preparation.

Prior to the Queensland tour, ESRL secretary Ray Unsworth described it as "the most important ever undertaken by ESRL". He conceded that all games would be tough and competitive. "We will be entering new territory, for there is little doubt that games against Australia are touchstones of our progress," he said.

Mr Dawson said that since being formed in 1965, the ESRL has "moved the game forward", identifying emerging talent and providing the vehicle for that talent to flourish. In 1967 the first international was played against France, and in 1974 this became a yearly event.   ESRL sides have lost only two tests since 1981.

"The talent identified and nurtured by ESRL is vast: Shaun Edwards, Garry Schofield, Dennis Betts, Bobbie Goulding, Chris Joynt, Andy Farrell, Iestyn Harris, Paul Sculthorpe and Kevin Sinfield, are just a few from a long list," Mr Dawson said.

He said there are promising developments in Ireland (hence the Irish component of this touring team), and that he is hopeful the ESRL's pioneering work in Scotland may soon bear fruit.

Footnote: Junior Lions' crafty half back Billy Joe Edwards, is the kid brother of wily Great Britain international half back Shaun Edwards. ".... I'm so proud of what my brother is achieving," says Shaun.

RESULTS

Great Britain and Ireland Schools 28 (A Sullivan, C Hill, T Cowen, A Irvine, A Wilkinson tries; A Irvine 4 goals) def Brisbane South District 14 (S Betham, D Plunkett-Maunsell tries; B Walker 3 goals).

GB/Ireland 36 (M Lyons 2, G Morton, J Bovill, D Simms, A Sullivan tries; A Crabtree 6 goals) def Toowoomba 4 (N Forde try).

GB/Ireland 48 (S Walker 3, A Henderson 2, R Burrow 2, G Morton, J Bovill tries; R Burrow 6 goals) def W/B Southern 6 (M Hopper try; C Gibson goal).

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