In a contract to the U16s game, there was only going to be one winner in the 18s encounter, as England Lions ran in nine tries to overcome Wales.
 
There were just three minutes gone when Harley Nelson ran in under the posts to give England the lead. He converted his own try.
 
Scott Simmons soon went over for England’s second with Nelson’s conversion doubling the advantage.
 
Oliver Smart scored in the corner for England’s third try, and Daniel Knott went over in the opposite corner in the next set. Both tries went unconverted and the score was 20-0 on 20 minutes.
 
Then from a scrum, Henry Ogden slipped past the Wales line to easily score under the posts. Nelson converted to make the score 26-0.
 
From kick-off, Wales finally got on the board. Connor Lacey scored near to the posts and Charlie Stoddart converted.
 
But it was soon back to business for England as Nelson picked up a bounce to score and converted himself, giving England a 32-6 lead at the break.
 
First on the board for England in the second half was Josh Blinkhorn, scoring under the sticks on 52 minutes and making it easy for Nelson to convert.
 
Then Luke Sutcliffe stretched over for England’s eighth try of the afternoon. Nelson converted.
 
The final move of the game saw Simmons dive over for his second and England’s ninth with Nelson’s kick bringing up the half-century.
 
WALES U18
1 Brandon Richards (Bridgend Blue Bulls / Coleg y Cymoedd)
2 Ethan Stebbings (Aber Valley Wolves)
3 Harrison Doe (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
4 Oliver Ford (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
5 Ben Morris (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
6 Charlie Stoddart (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
7 Llewellyn Hawkes (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
8 Alex Banks (Torfaen Tigers / Coleg y Cymoedd)
9 Jayden Grey (Bridgend Blue Bulls)*
10 Calum Jones (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
11 Carter Barnes (Torfaen Tigers / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
12 Daniel Bartlett (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
13 Connor Lacey (Cynon Valley Cavaliers / Coleg y Cymoedd / Salford Red Devils)
Subs:
14 Cory Westermark (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
15 Jamie Jenkins (Cardiff Blue Dragons / Coleg y Cymoedd)
16 William McCarthy (Aberavon Fighting Irish)*
17 Dafydd Morgan (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)
18 Dylan Morgan (Cardiff Blue Dragons / Coleg y Cymoedd)
19 Rhys Davies (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)
20 Lewis Jones (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
*Also played for Salford but not yet signed for them.
 
Tries: Lacey (29)
Goals: Stoddart 1/1
 
ENGLAND U18
1 Harry Sheridan (Rochdale Mayfield)
2 Daniel Knott (Dalton)
3 Oliver Smart (Siddal)
4 Henry Ogden (Siddal)
5 Harley Nelson (Kells)
6 George Jamieson (Salford City Roosters)
7 Devan Sharp (Wath Brow Hornets)
8 Dylan Grears (Kells)
9 Scott Simmons (Orrell St James)
10 Armand Jozsef Palinka (Milford)
11 Keane Elms (Blackbrook Royals)
12 Ben Metcalfe (Rochdale Mayfield)
13 Luke Sutcliffe (Blackbrook Royals)
Subs:
14 Joshua Blinkhorn (Dalton)
15 Jack Lawler (West Hull)
16 Malachi Price (Wigan St Judes)
17 Lewis Davies (Pilkington Recs)
19 Tom Farren (Roose Pioneers)
 
Tries: Nelson (3, 39), Simmons (8, 80), Smart (17), Knott (20), Ogden (25), Blinkhorn (52), Sutcliffe (59)
Goals: Nelson 7/9