Ireland kicked off the inaugural men’s Celtic Cup in style with a dominant eight-try 46-12 victory over Scotland at Hawick RFC, while Wales claimed a comprehensive 44-12 win over the USA at The Wern.
With both tests providing vital international ranking points and testing ground for emerging young talent, both Ireland and Wales laid down major markers on Saturday afternoon.
In Hawick, Ged Corcoran’s Ireland side blew the Bravehearts away, establishing a 22-6 halftime lead before running away with a 34-point victory.
Oliver Whitford led the charge for Ireland with a double, supported by tries from Lewis Wing, Patrick Moran, Kyle Barrett, Aidan McGowan, Aaron Lynch, and Kian Roberts, while James Farrar added seven goals off the tee. Scotland’s response came via tries from Conner Terrill and Ross Whitmore.
Will Jones hat-trick inspires Wales to resounding home victory over USA
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Over in Merthyr Tydfil, Paul Berry’s Wales produced a ruthless attacking display in front of a 1,050-strong crowd, crossing nine times to dispatch the visiting USA Hawks 44-12.
London Broncos forward Will Jones was the star of the show, crossing for a impressive first-half hat-trick as the home side stormed into a 26-12 lead at the break before holding the Americans scoreless in the second half.
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Further tries from Tokoitua Owen, Owen Restall, Sam Dickenson, Taine Woodford, Max Clarke, and Matthew Fozard completed the rout for Wales. Shingirai Hlanguyo and Ethan Povey provided the first-half four-pointers for the USA, with former NRL star Daniel Vidot kicking two conversions.
Both matches showcased the growing depth outside the World Cup stage as European nations build towards future international cycles.
