Rugby Union: Abendanon Shines As Saxons Book Place in Final

England's shadow side, The Saxons, yesterday helped lift the cloud over Brian Ashton's ill-starred team in South Africa.

They beat Scotland A 18-3 at Twickenham to reach the final of the Churchill Cup at the same venue on Saturday. They will meet either New Zealand Maori or Ireland A, who meet at Exeter tonight.

Much of the rugby matched the weather but there were bright aspects for England, namely the display of Bath's 20-year-old full-back Nick Abendanon. His late first-half counter-attack set up a ruck from which London Irish's hooker David Paice battered his way over for the first try.

Wasps' Danny Cipriani then set up the second try just after the break, a chip through finding Abendanon, who hacked on to plunge over. Penalties from Olly Barkley and the replacement Neils Mordt and a conversion by Barkley completed the Saxons' scoring.