London Skolars host Harry Jepson Trophy (From Haringey Independent)

London Skolars win Harry Jepson Trophy

10:50am Friday 21st September 2012 in Sport

London Skolars Reserves finished the season in style by winning the Harry Jepson Trophy for the first time.

The Skolars proved too strong, in the competition for English, Welsh and Scottish sides, as they defeated Northampton Demons 56-12.

Austen Aggrey’s strong tackling forced an error and James Roche took advantage to score Skolars’ first try.

Tom Ronayne added a second soon afterwards after a strong run by fellow winger Ibrahim Kabia, but when Sam Blayden was sin-binned for a tackle off the ball, Nothampton fought back to 12-6 down.

It wasn’t until late in the half that Skolars pushed ahead again with Olly Bloom making a diagonal run to the line from 20 metres out.

They stretched the lead straight after the break when James Fletcher opened a gap for Andy McLean to score. Dion Chapman was caught just before the tryline, but the teenager stretched out to ground the ball to score.

Ronayne and Fletcher then combined to bundle a Nothampton attack into touch, before Hulme added a second for the Demons.

Danny Burke touched down from close range before Randall Powell finished off a move down the right.

Nothampton started to lose their cool and saw two players sin-binned. They might have had a further one sent off after a high on Austen Aggrey, but that motivated the prop who scored two barnstorming tries in three minutes.

Skolar’s tenth try came straight from the kick-off after Aggrey’s second score.

The ball ricocheted off Jack Clover’s boot back over the heads of the Nothampton side. Clover was alert enough to race through to pick the ball up to score.

McLean kicked his eighth conversion and received the Bev Risman medal for the man-of-the-match.