The jinx struck again. Or, perhaps, someone has put a fatwa on Ireland ever again beating England in the men's Home Internationals. Whatever the reason, the English once again proved to be Ireland's golfing tormentors as they claimed their sixth successive championship victory at Royal Porthcawl yesterday.

In the end, it all came down to a battle of the teenagers. David Jones, the 18-year-old captain of the British and Irish boys' team who was making his senior debut, was beaten by Phil Rowe, just a year older, by one hole in the crucial final match. It gave England an 8-7 win and evoked a feeling of deja vu as they again took the Raymond Trophy, having prevailed on a countback in last year's championship.

On a day when the winds abated from the ferocity of the previous two days, the two teams were involved in a see-saw battle for supremacy. Indeed, Ireland struck the first blow by taking the morning foursomes, 31/2 to 11/2, but it wasn't a mortal wound and, not for the first time, England's fortitude - allied with a rub or two of the green along the way - enabled them to overhaul the Irish.

Jones's defeat was the crucial encounter, but the real damage had come higher up the order and Ireland managed only three wins and one halved match in the 10 singles. Noel Fox, securing his third singles win of the campaign, Andrew McCormick and Gary Cullen were the only victors, while Paddy Gribben, the European individual champion, halved his match. It left Ireland short, by an agonising point, of the desired total.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't manage to press home our advantage," admitted Irish captain Mick Craddock, who has one more year of his term to run, "but the performance of the young players especially is very encouraging. The future looks extremely bright."

Nevertheless, it was a heartbreaking afternoon for the Irish contingent. At one stage, it looked as if Ireland were merely clutching at straws but, slowly but surely, the tide turned in their favour and there was a touch of heavy irony that the one match which from the start seemed destined for an Irish win should actually be the one that brought overall defeat.

Jones, talented and confident, had won the first three holes in his encounter with Rowe and was still three up playing the 13th hole. Up ahead, Fox was winning his match and McCormick and Cullen were finally gaining the upperhand in their respective pairings. However, Jones, the Irish boys' champion, lost the 13th when his approach found a greenside trap; and he then lost the 14th and 15th. But what happened on the 16th was quite outrageous.

There, Jones was on the green in two - but Rowe was 15 yards short, and facing a downwind chip shot. The English player, though, produced an exquisite touch and the ball dropped into the cup for an unlikely birdie. Rowe proceeded to perform a jig that would have done justice to Riverdance, while Jones studied the line of his putt. Finally composed, his 30foot effort rolled by the hole. For the first time in the match, Jones was behind, and required to win the last two holes to give Ireland victory.

It was not to be, however. After both players put their approaches to the 17th in the tiger rough, Jones eventually had a three-foot putt for a par to win the match. But his putting touch had deserted him, and it again slid by; and when Rowe holed a similar putt for a six, it meant England couldn't lose the overall match and Jones, with the realisation setting in, buried his head in his hands.

The rough justice of it all was Jones was tasting defeat for the only time in the championship (he ended with three and a half points out of five) and the Irish boys' champion has a bright future.

Ireland certainly put up a great fight. Fox, who had watched his opponent Kenneth Ferrie chip in for a birdie at the 16th, responded by birdieing the 17th for a 2 and 1 win. The Portmarnock player had grabbed the initiative by sinking a birdie putt on the 11th and then hitting a drive and nine-iron to four feet for an eagle at the 12th. He also won the 13th when Ferrie drove into the deep rough and eventually conceded the hole.

Cullen, who has deferred a decision to turn professional and will instead attempt to claim a place on Ireland's team for next year's European Championship, was impressive in overcoming Mark Hilton by 3 and 2, finally putting space between himself and his opponent by winning back-to-back at the 14th and 15th.

His resolute performance was emulated by McCormick, especially in the manner in which the towering Scrabo player closed out his match. After putting his drive into the left rough, and with 190 yards to reach the green, McCormick played (with the wind behind him) an eight-iron to 15 feet and, although he missed the eagle putt, the birdie was sufficient to give him a win.

The only other Irish player who got close to a victory in the singles was Gribben, who was one up playing the last after winning the 17th when his opponent Simon Dyson lost a ball off the tee. However, Gribben three-putted from the front of the 18th green and had to settle for a halved match. That effectively put the pressure on Jones - who was on the 15th at the time - to win. It wasn't to be.

Meanwhile, Wales beat Scotland by 11 1/2 to 3 1/2, consigning the Scots to the wooden spoon. Ireland secured the runners-up position on points countback from Wales.