RugbyRebels

England U20s 2022 Six Nations fixtures

Friday 4 February - Scotland v England - KO 8pm - DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh
Friday 11 February - Italy v England - KO 7pm - Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso
Friday 25 February - England v Wales - KO 7pm – Castle Park, Doncaster (Tickets are available here.)
Saturday 12 March – England v Ireland - KO 7.15pm – StoneX Stadium, London (Tickets are available here.)
Sunday 20 March - France v England - KO 8pm - Stade Aime Giral, Perpignan

England men U20s Elite Player Squad – 2022

Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Alfie Bell (Wasps)
Lucas Brooke (London Irish)
Kofi Cripps (Wasps)
Mark Dormer (Newcastle)
Ollie Fletcher (Newcastle)
Robin Hardwick (Wasps)
Will Hobson (Harlequins)
Emeka Ilione (Leicester)
Geordie Irvine (Northampton)
Tom Lockett (Northampton)
Toby Knight (Saracens)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle)
Charlie Rice (Bristol)
Ewan Richards (Bath)
John Stewart (Bath)
Mike Summerfield (London Irish)
Alex Wardell (Saracens)

Backs
Henry Arundell (London Irish)
Seb Atkinson (Worcester)
Deago Bailey (Bristol)
Jamie Benson (Harlequins)
Tom Carr-Smith (Bath)
Ethan Grayson (Northampton)
Olly Hartley (Wasps)
George Hendy (Northampton)
Matty Jones (Gloucester)
Louie Johnson (Newcastle)
Will Joseph (London Irish)
Tom Litchfield (Northampton)
Fin Smith (Worcester)
Iwan Stephens (Newcastle)

Prob about right for tigers

prob on paper our weakest squad on paper in a while.

Usually there are around 4 lads who are pretty known in the prem scene, granted prem teams might be keeping hood of more players with the smaller squads and cap going down.

Sad to see not one single player from Exeter.

Thats disappointing. Sale dont have any representation either.

I recognise a few names and have seen a bit of some of the players but it does seem very light on Prem experience.

Fin Smith could be a key player if he is available to play. Stephens looked very good for Newcastle early in the season.

Tigersman wrote:Prob about right for tigers

prob on paper our weakest squad on paper in a while.

Usually there are around 4 lads who are pretty known in the prem scene, granted prem teams might be keeping hood of more players with the smaller squads and cap going down.

Similar for Quins, although I would have expected Sam Riley and Cassius Cleaves to be in there.

With the exception of Fin Smith, the players might be less known at Premiership level, but there are a good few there who have very good reputation already. To name a few, Guy Pepper is supposed to be brilliant, Will Joseph is apparently Jonathan MkII (his brother) and Jamie Benson is regarded as better than Marcus Smith at the same age by the Quins academy.

I assume Iwan Stephens will switch to Wales once we’ve invested a load of time in his development.

Riley is too old same with a few lads from last year

Tigersman wrote:Prob about right for tigers

prob on paper our weakest squad on paper in a while.

Usually there are around 4 lads who are pretty known in the prem scene, granted prem teams might be keeping hood of more players with the smaller squads and cap going down.

I thought Woodward might get a look in, maybe Whitcombe as well though he might be a bit to old now.

Hopefully this means Ilione is nearly back to full fitness.

Woodward is still U18s so has plenty of time yet. Whitcombe too old.

Interesting to see Johnson, Benson and Smith. Suspect Johnson will play 15 out of those three. Although first year out of school I’d have expected either Garside or Thomas to get a SH slot.

Still a bloody strong year group with some very talented players not included.

Only 1 from Glos too, which is very low consider No how much money has been thrown at the academy of late

Squad by position:


Forwards

Prop:
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Mark Dormer (Newcastle)
Robin Hardwick (Wasps)
Will Hobson (Harlequins)
Mike Summerfield (London Irish)

Hooker:
Ollie Fletcher (Newcastle)
John Stewart (Bath)

Lock:
Alfie Bell (Wasps)
Tom Lockett (Northampton)
Charlie Rice (Bristol)
Ewan Richards (Bath)
Alex Wardell (Saracens)

Backrow:
Lucas Brooke (London Irish)
Kofi Cripps (Wasps)
Emeka Ilione (Leicester)
Geordie Irvine (Northampton)
Toby Knight (Saracens)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle)

Backs

Scrum Half:
Tom Carr-Smith (Bath)
Matty Jones (Gloucester)

Fly Half:
Fin Smith (Worcester)
Louie Johnson (Newcastle)
Jamie Benson (Harlequins)

Centre:
Seb Atkinson (Worcester)
Ethan Grayson (Northampton)
Olly Hartley (Wasps)
Will Joseph (London Irish)
Tom Litchfield (Northampton)

Back Three:
Henry Arundell (London Irish)
Deago Bailey (Bristol)
George Hendy (Northampton)
Iwan Stephens (Newcastle)

It is a bloody good squad. I don't think I've seen a better set of props coming through at this age level, with players like Phil Brantingham being too old now, and Seb Smith missing out at the other end. Baxter and Dormer are arguably the standouts, but all five are bloody good prospects.

At hooker Ollie Fletcher is John Fletcher's lad and rated exceedingly highly. Former backrow who converted at U16s. Part of a formidable Newcastle School for Boys front row.

Lock is a decent bunch, though I'd argue a slightly weaker area, or maybe pother areas are more impressive. I like Alfie Bell and Ewan Richards keeps getting better and better.

Backrow is a good bunch. Most will know Ilione and Brooke and probably heard of Guy Pepper, if you've read youth threads previously. Cripps is another in the Brooke mould, but with a little more subtlety to his play.

Scrum half is the one area I'm actually concerned about. Carr-Smith is decent to be fair, but I think there are better players that have missed out. Notably Nye Thomas at Sale and Jake Garside at Saints.

I think you'll have all heard of the fly halves. Smith is already the starting FH for Wuss, whilst Benson and Johnson have come out of school rugby with glowing reputations.

The centres have a nice mix. Joseph is probably the most familiar. Seb Atkinson and Grayson look classy and Litchfield has a real spark.

In the back three Arundell is my standout. Bailey or Stephens will be the most familiar, but Arundell has a really rounded game. His step is frightening! I'm surprised not to see Cleaves (providing he is fit).

As ever at this level, there is a fair amount of versatility in both forwards and backs.

Just to say Hartley in the centres looked handy in Wasps recent prem cup games. Solid in defence and a fairly good size too.

Good review of the squad here - https://nextgenxv.com/2022/01/05/englan ... -to-watch/

Hartley named as one of the newcomers to watch out for.

fivepointer wrote:Good review of the squad here - https://nextgenxv.com/2022/01/05/englan ... -to-watch/

Hartley named as one of the newcomers to watch out for.

That's really useful; thanks!

Puja

Oddly they don't call out Fletcher as one of the 6 to watch when he was one of the prospects named (by Next Gen) in the World XV of prospects coming out of U18's this summer. He was the bench hooker.

https://nextgenxv.com/2021/11/23/world- ... y-xv-2021/

Team for warm up game vs Oxford Uni

1st Half:
15 George Hendy
14 Deago Bailey
13 Jacob Cusick
12 Ethan Grayson
11 Cassius Cleaves
10 Louie Johnson
9 Tom Carr-Smith
1 Fin Baxter (c)
2 Jasper Spandler
3 Mikey Summerfield
4 Tom Lockett
5 Alex Wardell
6 Macenzzie Duncan
7 Kofi Cripps
8 Geordie Irvine

2nd Half:
15 Henry Arrundell
14 Francis Moore
13 Seb Atkinson (c)
12 Bryn Bradley
11 Ollie Dawkins
10 Jamie Benson
9 Matty Jones
1 Mark Dormer
2 Tom Cotton
3 Will Hobson
4 Alfie Bell
5 Charlie Rice
6 Geordie Irvine
7 Kofi Cripps
8 Greg Fisilau

Anyone know when the Junior World Cup will be back on the schedule?

Scrumhead wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Prob about right for tigers

prob on paper our weakest squad on paper in a while.

Usually there are around 4 lads who are pretty known in the prem scene, granted prem teams might be keeping hood of more players with the smaller squads and cap going down.

Similar for Quins, although I would have expected Sam Riley and Cassius Cleaves to be in there.

With the exception of Fin Smith, the players might be less known at Premiership level, but there are a good few there who have very good reputation already. To name a few, Guy Pepper is supposed to be brilliant, Will Joseph is apparently Jonathan MkII (his brother) and Jamie Benson is regarded as better than Marcus Smith at the same age by the Quins academy.

I assume Iwan Stephens will switch to Wales once we’ve invested a load of time in his development.

Might end up losing Lockett also, he played for Wales U18.

Epaminondas Pules wrote:Scrum half is the one area I'm actually concerned about. Carr-Smith is decent to be fair, but I think there are better players that have missed out. Notably Nye Thomas at Sale and Jake Garside at Saints.

Thomas is eligible for next year so maybe they're giving an older lad his chance. That's not the case for Garside though who I thought was meant to be very highly rated.

Garside is that unlucky age where he’s in his first year out of school, but being September born he’s only really got this year.

Team for Friday v Scotland. On BBC iplayer at 8pm.

England Men's U20 Team

15. Henry Arundell (London Irish)
14. Deago Bailey (Bristol Bears)
13. Tom Litchfield (Northampton Saints)
12. Ethan Grayson (Northampton Saints)
11. Ollie Dawkins (Wasps)
10. Louie Johnson (Newcastle Falcons)
9. Tom Carr-Smith (Bath Rugby)
1. Mark Dormer (Newcastle Falcons)
2. John Stewart (Bath Rugby)
3. Mikey Summerfield (London Irish)
4. Alfie Bell (Wasps)
5. Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints)
6. Alex Wardell (Saracens)
7. Kofi Cripps (Wasps)
8. Toby Knight (Saracens)

Replacements

16. Jasper Spandler (Bath Rugby)
17. Will Hobson (Harlequins)
18. Robin Hardwick (Wasps)
19. Charlie Rice (Bristol Bears)
20. Gregg Fisilau (Wasps)
21. Matty Jones (Gloucester Rugby)
22. Jamie Benson (Harlequins)
23. George Hendy (Northampton Saints)

Fairly certain that centre partnership has featured for Bedford this season.
Looks like the match is on iplayer so my Friday evening entertainment is sorted.

Mellsblue wrote: like the match is on iplayer so my Friday evening entertainment is sorted.

Im pretty sure that was the case last year as well, with not a single minute being shown in the right place