Rugby Union: Jones boys put paid to Welsh challenge: Millfield win Rosslyn Park Sevens

KEEPING up with the Joneses was hardly a straightforward matter for the Welsh speakers of Strade at Roehampton yesterday. Instead, it was Adam and Matt Jones, Englishmen no less, who helped increase Millfield's record haul of Open titles to a round half-dozen at the National Schools Sevens.

Thanks to the introduction of the five-point try, the 40-5 scoreline was the biggest seen here and it was the Jones boys who cleaned up. Related in name only, these brothers-in-arms contributed 30 points to the cause of the sports giants from the west.

Adam was the star with a hat-trick of tries, while Matt weighed in with his own touchdown and five conversions. Which left Richard Jones, the Millfield and Welsh 18 Group captain, kicking his heels and cursing his luck after a knee injury had ruled him out of the final glory.

As Millfield had lost their flier, Kazeem Alli, with a groin strain it said much for their strength in depth that they proved such comprehensive winners. Strade, though, were always fearing the worst according to Wyn Evans, their coach. Evans, who had played here as a wing in 1962 when the then Llanelli grammar school were in the middle of a run leading to a Rosslyn Park treble, said: 'This is a young team and we were more than happy to have made it to the final.'

Millfield took a firm grip of the tournament and the new Gilbert ball, which was being tested in competition for the first time prior to next month's World Cup Sevens.

And how the Welsh in general suffered in the knock-out stages. Millfield began by ousting Brynteg, who hail from Mid Glamorgan, and followed up by trouncing St Cyres, from Penarth, 26-0. That left Eltham College, from Kent, attempting to bar their progress to the final while brave Strade were more than satisfied with victories over Ampleforth and Bradford, a pair of Yorkshire giants.

Scorers (in final): Millfield: Tries A Jones (3), M Jones, Lucas, Kindon; Conversions M Jones (5). Strade: Try Oliver.

Millfield: A Jones, C Cottrill, C Lucas, M Jones; D O'Gorman (capt), P Mitchell, J Kindon.

Strade: R Lewis, N Jones (capt), A Davies, H Oliver; T Bowen, N Welch, E Evans.

Referee: A Ellison (Leatherhead).

SHELL ROSSLYN PARK OPEN SEVENS: Group Winners: Millfield 26 Brynteg 10; St Cyres, bye; London Oratory 5 Llandovery 17; Eltham 26 Wirral 7; King's Macclesfield 5 Bradford 19; Strade 17 Ampleforth 12; RGS Newcastle, bye; Solihull 40 Bishop Gore 5. Quarter-finals: Millfield 24 St Cyres 0; Llandovery 7 Eltham 10; Bradford 10 Strade 17; RGS Newcastle 15 Soliull 14. Semi-finals: Millfield 29 Eltham 5; Strade 28 RGS Newcastle 10. Final: Millfield 40 Strade 5.