England u20 24/25 Season

[fivepointer]

The Bath front 5 are hardly knarly old vets. The locks are 21 and 22 and the hooker is 21. I guess a year or two at this level can make a big difference.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Team for Ireland

15 Jack Kinder
14 Jack Bracken
13 Angus Hall
12 Nic Allison
11 Charlie Griffin
10 Ben Coen
9 Archie McParland
8 Kane James
7 Henry Pollock
6 Junior Kpoku
5 Tom Burrow
4 Olamide Sodeke
3 Vilikesa Sela
2 Kepu Tuipolotu
1 Ralph McEachran

16 Louie Gulley
17 Oliver Scola
18 Tye Raymont
19 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave
20 George Timmins
21 Lucas Friday
22 Josh Bellamy
23 Nick Lilley

That's a big old pack!!!

Really surprised they've gone with Coen and Bellamy. Hopefully Davies is not injured!

[fivepointer]

The reigning champions head to Cork for their first round encounter against Neil Doak’s side at Virgin Media Park. The match will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer.
7.45pm Ko on Thursday.

Very interested to see this team perform. Good mix of experience with some newcomers.

[Scrumhead]

Solid and experienced forward pack with a couple of highly rated newcomers.

I really like the look of Griffin but I’ve only seen him play as a centre (where he looked mustard). Kind of disappointed to see him on the wing.

[Epaminondas Pules]

He’s tended to play wing for age groups

[Which Tyler]

He's more wing than centre - but comfortable in both

[Slater582]

Apparently Pollock would've been skipper had he not been unavailable training with the Senior squad. Didn't expect Burrow to be named Captain, given this will be his first international U20 cap and there are quite a few lads returning from a successful 2024.

England U20 Men 2024/25 Elite Player Squad

Forwards

Reuben Logan (Northampton Saints)

After being included in the England squad during September, Reuben Logan will end up representing Scotland in the Six Nations. You reckoned he would have been a starter EP, so Logan actually had a choice to make rather than England just not rating him.

I saw him described as 6'5, very talented and plays number 8 so disappointing he hasn't stayed with England. Given his father, guess it was always going to be difficult for the England coaches.

Scrum Half:

Stocks at 9 are in good shape with Archie McParland and also the outstanding Lucas Friday in the mix. Jonny Weimann, who was released by Saracens at 16, has grown hugely at six form and been rewarded with a number of England U18 caps. Worth noting Hanson too, who also played up at England U19 this season.

Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)
Lucas Friday (Harlequins)
Jonny Weimann (Northampton Saints)
Dom Hanson (Sale Sharks)

Noticed (former England U18) Will Wooton from Sale was in the Ireland squad. Although they've not selected him for the game on Thursday. Not sure if that's because he's injured or they've got better players than Wooton.

Also Steve Diamond was complaining about (another former England U18 scrum half) Joe Davis not being selected. Having been born on New year's Eve, Davis will not be eligible next year.

It’s a very competitive age group. I liked the look of Pearson I must say.

Davies is a big step up from last years 10s. Friday is quality. We lost both starting centres from last year. Lilley was always going to be nailed on for 13 this year.

Add in Hall and Redshaw and it looks that bit more polished. And Archie McP too to battle with Friday for the 9 shirt.

Redshaw still qualifies as well? Damn. That's going to be some backline.

Pearson is only 18, I think Kinder is pretty young as well so they should get at least two maybe three years at this level anyway.

Yeah he's a 2005 birth, so good for this year too.

All depends on birth year. If they're still 18 now, being in the post January side of the school year, then they'll have two years at this level. Ollie Davies, for example, was 19 in December so he'll only get one year at this level. Angus Hall played last year as a school kid, but as a September birth only gets this year eligibility wise; Bracken the same, but Friday has two years being a July 2006 birth.

Does the Sale website have his date of birth wrong then?

[FKAS]

Reuben Logan is a big unit and has been playing Nat 1 level for Leicester Lions. I assume he's gone down the route that will give him the most initial game time. May switch again before seniors.

Joe Davis did look electric for Falcons but hasn't featured recently. If Diamond rates him so highly he should go back to playing him more regularly.

[twitchy]

Reuben Logan is a big unit and has been playing Nat 1 level for Leicester Lions. I assume he's gone down the route that will give him the most initial game time. May switch again before seniors.

Joe Davis did look electric for Falcons but hasn't featured recently. If Diamond rates him so highly he should go back to playing him more regularly.

Scottish, surely?

[FKAS]

Reuben Logan is a big unit and has been playing Nat 1 level for Leicester Lions. I assume he's gone down the route that will give him the most initial game time. May switch again before seniors.

Joe Davis did look electric for Falcons but hasn't featured recently. If Diamond rates him so highly he should go back to playing him more regularly.

Scottish, surely?

Logan? He might go down the under 20s route there and then reconsider again at senior level. He was born and raised down south I believe. His dad is Scottish but Gabby is English and his grandad is Welsh so he's got multiple qualification up his sleeve so can pick what suits him best later on.

[Banquo]

Reuben Logan is a big unit and has been playing Nat 1 level for Leicester Lions. I assume he's gone down the route that will give him the most initial game time. May switch again before seniors.

Joe Davis did look electric for Falcons but hasn't featured recently. If Diamond rates him so highly he should go back to playing him more regularly.

Scottish, surely?

Logan? He might go down the under 20s route there and then reconsider again at senior level. He was born and raised down south I believe. His dad is Scottish but Gabby is English and his grandad is Welsh so he's got multiple qualification up his sleeve so can pick what suits him best later on.

Gabby represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games

[FKAS]

Scottish, surely?

Logan? He might go down the under 20s route there and then reconsider again at senior level. He was born and raised down south I believe. His dad is Scottish but Gabby is English and his grandad is Welsh so he's got multiple qualification up his sleeve so can pick what suits him best later on.

Gabby represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games

Good point, I'd forgotten about that.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Apparently Pollock would've been skipper had he not been unavailable training with the Senior squad. Didn't expect Burrow to be named Captain, given this will be his first international U20 cap and there are quite a few lads returning from a successful 2024.

England U20 Men 2024/25 Elite Player Squad

Forwards

Reuben Logan (Northampton Saints)

After being included in the England squad during September, Reuben Logan will end up representing Scotland in the Six Nations. You reckoned he would have been a starter EP, so Logan actually had a choice to make rather than England just not rating him.

I saw him described as 6'5, very talented and plays number 8 so disappointing he hasn't stayed with England. Given his father, guess it was always going to be difficult for the England coaches.

Scrum Half:

Stocks at 9 are in good shape with Archie McParland and also the outstanding Lucas Friday in the mix. Jonny Weimann, who was released by Saracens at 16, has grown hugely at six form and been rewarded with a number of England U18 caps. Worth noting Hanson too, who also played up at England U19 this season.

Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)
Lucas Friday (Harlequins)
Jonny Weimann (Northampton Saints)
Dom Hanson (Sale Sharks)

Noticed (former England U18) Will Wooton from Sale was in the Ireland squad. Although they've not selected him for the game on Thursday. Not sure if that's because he's injured or they've got better players than Wooton.

Also Steve Diamond was complaining about (another former England U18 scrum half) Joe Davis not being selected. Having been born on New year's Eve, Davis will not be eligible next year.

Redshaw still qualifies as well? Damn. That's going to be some backline.

Pearson is only 18, I think Kinder is pretty young as well so they should get at least two maybe three years at this level anyway.

Yeah he's a 2005 birth, so good for this year too.

All depends on birth year. If they're still 18 now, being in the post January side of the school year, then they'll have two years at this level. Ollie Davies, for example, was 19 in December so he'll only get one year at this level. Angus Hall played last year as a school kid, but as a September birth only gets this year eligibility wise; Bracken the same, but Friday has two years being a July 2006 birth.

Does the Sale website have his date of birth wrong then? https://www.salesharks.com/player/ollie-davies/

Yeah. Ollie is 19 now. They’ve got the wrong year for some reason.

[paddy no 11]

2 red cards here?

[Captainhaircut]

Never a high degree of danger that. He’s barely even moving forward.

[Which Tyler]

Should have been 1 red and 1 yellow. Kinder is lucky the ref wasn't interested in looking at bith

[Scrumhead]

Yeah, I’m not convinced it was a ‘high degree of danger’ but a bit dumb by Kpoku.

Very scrappy so far.

[Which Tyler]

I'm not fond of boo.ing at any time, but boo.ing kids is... not a good look.

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, I’m not convinced it was a ‘high degree of danger’ but a bit dumb by Kpoku.

Very scrappy so far.

I think if you knock the attacker backwards, and move forwards yourself after contact, you'd need a really compelling reason to call it a low degree of danger.
On top of that, it was always illegal (late, no arms) so in theory, you don't apply mitigation, even if it exists.

Kinder's on the other hand, was a soak tackle that rode up, so low degree, probable yellow.

[paddy no 11]

Never a high degree of danger that. He’s barely even moving forward.

But he's doubled down by being about a week late, desrved red

[Which Tyler]

Just brain-dead play

[Scrumhead]

Yep. From the captain of a side down to 14 but under no major pressure, that’s dumb as they get.

[Which Tyler]

I missed what happened to McParland - anyone spot it?

[FKAS]

Yep. From the captain of a side down to 14 but under no major pressure, that’s dumb as they get.

Dreadful discipline from England so far.

[FKAS]

Didn't realise you could take someone into touch in a headlock.

Not sure why England couldn't just kick the ball clear instead of playing an unnecessary play on our own goal line.