England U18 squad

[Epaminondas Pules]

SA tour squad

EAFdMCLXoAA4SmW.jpeg

[Puja]

Any tips on who to be looking out for? Jack Forsythe was mentioned as a good 8 in the transfer rumours thread (I think), and I know the name Emeka Ilione without knowing a huge amount about him.

Puja

[Tigersman]

Ilione IMO could be massive player. IMO prob the most potential talent to come from the Tigers academy in a while. (Which is no mean feat given some of the other players in it).

[Epaminondas Pules]

Forsyth is a good one. My catch in the pack is Fin Baxter. Looks a really big prospect at prop. Was playing first XV for Welly when he was still U16, which is mighty impressive. I like Freddie Thomas too. He's come on leaps and bounds in the last year.

In the backs all three 10s look decent, Grayson, Atkinson and Bailey. All three are comfortable in multi positions. There's also Will Jospeh who has a hell of a similar game to his brother.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Ilione IMO could be massive player. IMO prob the most potential talent to come from the Tigers academy in a while. (Which is no mean feat given some of the other players in it).

He's really got better and better at a rate of knots. Looks a good one!

[fivepointer]

A few of these lads played for the U18s last season. Brantingham, Stewart and Baxter should make a decent front row. Ilione is quite highly rated I think. Will Joseph is JJ's brother and Ethan Grayson is Paul's son.
Other than that, i really dont know much about the players.

[fivepointer]

Ones to keep an eye on...

Charlie Atkinson (Abingdon & Wasps, fly half)
Atkinson has been turning heads for a while, the Abingdon fly half has been playing consistently for the Wasps U18 side since he was an U16 and has never looked anything less than comfortable at that level. Competition at fly half in this England squad is fierce, the likes of Orlando Bailey and Ethan Grayson are potent forces, but Atkinson will get his chance and those that witness it will be seeing a very special talent indeed.

Orlando Bailey (Beechen Cliff & Bath, fly half/inside centre/fullback)
Bailey, like Atkinson, has been turning heads for both school and club for some time. Primarily a fly half, he has also turned out at both inside centre and fullback, including for the England U18 side in the past season, but fly half is his natural spot. He first came to the attention of Fifteen Rugby back as an U15 when he dominated the Schools Vase tournament for his old school Thomas Hardye. Since then he has gone up and up with a superb blend of crisp passing and a mazy running game that saw coaches see full back as a position with which to find him some game time at such a young age. A true star of the future.

Fin Baxter (Wellington College & Harlequins, prop)
Back in 2017 Baxter captained Wellington College to U15 Schools Cup glory, where his opposite captain was Warwick’s Jack Forsyth, another exciting member of this England squad. The next season he was starting for the Wellington College 1st XV, an impressive achievement for any U16 but even more so as a prop. Since then he has gone up and up, his range of skills and workrate are utterly sublime and he was a key figure in Wellington’s run to the Champions Trophy last season. With England U18 experience already under his belt, he could be a real star in South Africa where the physical challenge he faces will be immense.

Louis Hillman-Cooper (Cheltenham College & Gloucester, outside centre/wing)
Hillman-Cooper is a superb all-round athlete adept from the athletics circuit to the rugby field with plenty of other spots along the way. His pace has seen him utilised on the wing by both club and country before, but it is at outside centre where Hillman-Cooper is most at home, able to balance the outside break with his good rounding of skills. He has been a star man for his school side, Cheltenham College, for many years, even scoring some sensational tries as a mere Prep School pupil. Definitely a man to keep an eye on in South Africa on the hard grounds.

Will Joseph (Millfield & London Irish, outside centre)
If the surname rings any bells, it should, Will is the younger brother of England and Bath centre Jonathan. See Will Joseph moving on a rugby field and the similarity is stark, pace, footwork, and a strong enough understanding of the game that Millfield felt comfortable playing him at fly half for much of last season. Like fellow outside centre Hillman-Cooper, Joseph is a multi-talented athlete with serious pace to burn and will certainly be one of the key figures to watch in South Africa this summer and in the season to come.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Team for the first game against Argentina

England U18s team to play Argentina

15 Oliver Melville – Sale Sharks (Sedbergh School)
14 Matthew Ward – Newcastle Falcons (Gosforth Academy)
13 Louis Hillman-Cooper – Gloucester Rugby (Cheltenham College)
12 Ethan Grayson – Northampton Saints (Northampton School for Boys)
11 Alex Harmes – London Irish (St Pauls College)
10 Orlando Bailey – Bath Rugby (Beechen Cliff School)
9 Sam Edwards – Leicester Tigers (Brooksby Melton College)
1 Phil Brantingham – Newcastle Falcons (RGS Newcastle)
2 Archie Vanes – Leicester Tigers (Brooksby Melton College)
3 Fin Baxter (c) – Harlequins (Wellington College)
4 Ewan Richards – Bath Rugby (Millfield School)
5 Emeka Ilione – Leicester Tigers (Rugby School)
6 Kit Smith – Leicester Tigers (Oakham School)
7 Daniel Eckersley – Wasps (Bloxham School)
8 Will Trenholm – Harlequins (Cranleigh School)

Replacements
16 John Stewart – Bath Rugby (Beechen Cliff School)
17 Tarek Haffar – London Irish (St Pauls College)
18 Joe Keohane – London Irish (St Pauls College)
19 Freddie Thomas – Gloucester Rugby (Dean Close School)
20 Harry Taylor - Gloucester Rugby (Clifton College)
21 Sam Bryan – Saracens (Felsted School)
22 Charlie Atkinson – Wasps (Abingdon School)
23 Will Joseph – London Irish (Millfield School)
24 Oscar Beard – Harlequins (Cranleigh School)
25 Michael Dykes – London Irish (St Pauls College)

[fivepointer]

We lost 19-29

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/artic ... -argentina

[twitchy]

Argentina are becoming a force in rugby now.

[Timbo]

Argentina are becoming a force in rugby now.

I guess. Ultimately their senior men’s team have won 5 test matches in the last 3 years. That includes wins against Italy and Japan.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Argentina are becoming a force in rugby now.

You do have to factor in that we’re a year young at this level when it comes to summer tours. We’re effectively playing a 17’s team.

[Banquo]

I've never thought Argentina were anything but a force in rugby, especially at home. They have 110,000 registered players. Their last three world cups have been very good.

[fivepointer]

England men U18s to play France (tues 3pm)

15. Oliver Melville – Sale Sharks (Sedbergh School)
14. Oscar Beard – Harlequins (Cranleigh School)
13. Will Joseph – London Irish (Millfield School)
12. Ethan Grayson – Northampton Saints (Northampton School for Boys)
11. Michael Dykes – London Irish (St Pauls College)
10. Charlie Atkinson – Wasps (Abingdon School)
9. Sam Bryan – Saracens (Felsted School)
1. Tarek Haffar – London Irish (St Pauls College)
2. John Stewart – Bath Rugby (Beechen Cliff School)
3. Joe Keohane – London Irish (St Pauls College)
4. Freddie Thomas – Gloucester Rugby (Dean Close School)
5. Ethan Staddon - Bath Rugby (Beechen Cliff School)
6. Emeka Ilione – Leicester Tigers (Rugby School)
7. Harry Taylor - Gloucester Rugby (Clifton College)
8. Will Trenholm – Harlequins (Cranleigh School)

Replacements
16. Archie Vanes – Leicester Tigers (Brooksby Melton College)
17. Phil Brantingham – Newcastle Falcons (RGS Newcastle)
18. Fin Baxter – Harlequins (Wellington College)
19. Ewan Richards – Bath Rugby (Millfield School)
20. Kit Smith – Leicester Tigers (Oakham School)
21. Daniel Eckersley – Wasps (Bloxham School)
22. Sam Edwards – Leicester Tigers (Brooksby Melton College)
23. Orlando Bailey – Bath Rugby (Beechen Cliff School)
24. Louis Hillman-Cooper – Gloucester Rugby (Cheltenham College)
25. Alex Harmes – London Irish (St Pauls College)
26. Matthew Ward – Newcastle Falcons (Gosforth Academy)

[fivepointer]

Nice to get a win, 29-25. Good comeback after Argentina.

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/artic ... nal-series

[fivepointer]

Final game and a close loss to SA.

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/artic ... ca-schools

These games are about development, so it will be interesting to see how these players do next season and beyond.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Fabulous try by Ilione! He looks quite the prospect!!