BARLA Great Britain Lions u21s completed their two-match tour of Russia and Kazan with a 30-6 win over Tartastan in Kazan.

The Lions scored the only converted try of the first half before Tartastan levelled the game up early in the second half.

But the Lions scored a breakaway five minutes later and never looked back from that scoring further three converted tries to win the match in temperatures of 30 degrees.

The first half was a very tight affair with both sides testing each other out in front of a large crowd in a forward-dominated battle.

But the Lions were first on the scoreboard after 18 minutes when a superb move saw Roose Pioneers winger Chris Larkins cross the whitewash and skipper Mark McKinley of Walney Central added the extras.

The Lions had to withstand a tremendous response from the home side but they held on for a 6-0 half time lead.

In the second half Tartastan continued to press at the Lions side and the pressure finally told on 47 minutes as their hooker scooted in from the play the from close range for a converted try to level the game up.

The Lions were under the cosh and defending their own line as Tartastan scented another try but they were undone by the try of the game on 55 minutes as the home side pressed.

Full back Rhys Davies of Egremont Rangers who was having a superb afternoon, got the ball on his own line and broke away and made a great 30-metre break down field. 

He passed to the supporting Wigan St Judes scrum half Dean Hunt who then got the ball out to substitute Gareth Norris who joined the attack.

Norris went over for his side’s second try and McKinley again added the extras.

The try seemed to break Tartastans hearts and the Lions began to show their class with some superb running rugby and ten minutes later Davies went over for the side’s third try with McKinley again converting with the boot.

As the minutes ticked by the oppressive heat Tartastan began to tire and the Lions extra fitness shone through as they scored two converted tries in the last three minutes of the game.

Substitute Iwan Brown of Halton Simms Cross who was a late call up into the BARLA Great Britain Lions u21s squad went the length of the field under the sticks with Norris adding the two points.

On 79 minutes he did the same trick again following BARLA’s fifth and final try when prop Jon Walker of Bank Quay Bulls blasted through for a try from close range.

It capped off a magnificent performance by the young side who can feel proud of their performance on the fields of Kazan.

In a game when all twenty players were hero’s Rhys Davies and Matt Embleton were named as joint Man of the Match.

1.Rhys Davies (Egremont Rangers), 2. Chris Larkins (Roose Pioneers), 3. Matt Embleton (York Acorn), 4. Kyle Amor (Hensingham), 5. Leigh Reintoul (Heworth) , 6. Thomas Hill (Vice Capt), 7. Dean Hunt(Wigan St Judes), 8. Anthony Smith (Castleford Panthers), 9. Aiden Bowden (Oulton Raiders), 10. Jon Walker (Bank Quay Bulls), 11. Aaron Fewless (Myton Warriors), 12. Brett Robinson (West Hull), 13Mark McKinley (Capt) (Walney Central),

Subs: 14.Gareth Norris (East Hull) 15.  Steve Scott (Castleford Panthers), 16. Leon Brennan (Leigh East), 17. Paul Hopper (Seaton Rangers), 18. Scott Burgess (Great Clifton), 19. Andrew Mellen (Millom), 20. Iwan Brown (Halton Simms Cross).

Steve Manning
BARLA Media Manager & PRO