A LOCAL teenage rugby player played an integral part for the South West team at the England Under 18 rugby festival in Yorkshire last weekend.

Wingman Robert Avery-Wright (Ivybridge College, Crediton and Devon) landed four penalties for the South West team in the final against London and the South East at the festival held on the all-weather surface at West Park Leeds RFC.

Climax of the tournament was the London and South East and South West game during which, thanks to a last gasp score by London, both teams preserved their unbeaten tag after a 22-22 draw.

Lock Will Spencer (St Paul's Catholic Coll, Wasps and Hampshire) was the hero for London, finishing off a sustained spell of pressure when he drove over near the posts for full-back Jack Masters (The King's School, Saracens and Kent) to convert and level the scores.

Masters opened the scoring with a try and conversion when London engineered a big overlap on the right, but the South West then gave a hint of their best route to goal when skipper and No 8 James Teixeira (Truro College, Redruth and Cornwall) scored from a driven maul.

Robert Avery-Wright then nudged the South West ahead with a penalty, only for his opposite number Michael Ayrton to reclaim a 12-8 interval lead for London when he cut inside from the left wing and sliced cleanly through for a smart solo try.

Avery-Wright (2) and Masters then landed penalties before the South West engineered another solid forward drive near the London line, this time flanker William Skuse (Bryanston College, Bath and Cornwall) making the touchdown.

A fourth penalty by Avery-Wright extended the South West lead to 22-15, but even with an icy breeze at their backs, they could not keep London at arm's length and it was left to Spencer to snatch a share of the honours with his late score.

"It was a good final and it's been a good festival," said England Under 18 coach John Fletcher: "Lots of players who have come through the County route have had an opportunity to represent their Division and it was a fitting end. It was a close game and a draw was probably a fair result."

In last Saturday's games, the South West beat the Midlands 29-15 and London and SE beat the North 40-15. In the other game, played last Sunday, the Midlands beat the North 27-6.