England u20s vs Italy

Finally, a balanced matchday squad!

England Under 20 side to play Italy
15 Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
14 Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors)
13 Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks)
12 Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
11 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
10 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
9 Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
3 Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
4 Elliott Stooke (Gloucester Rugby)
5 Dominic Barrow (Leeds Carnegie)
6 Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers)
7 David Sisi (London Irish)
8 Jack Clifford (Harlequins) (c)

Replacements:

16 Nathan Morris (London Wasps)
17 Alex Lundberg (London Wasps)
18 Danny Herriott (Northampton Saints)
19 Tom Jubb (Saracens)
20 Gus Jones (London Wasps)
21 Alex Day (Northampton Saints)
22 Tom Stephenson (Northampton Saints)
23 Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers)

Interesting to see Devoto and Nowell.

I just put up the Wales U20 thread too. I have no doubt England will be racking up more points against Itlay. Therefore, Wales do not only need to beat Scotland but score a lot more points in the process. Otherwise England will come to Parc Erias in with the chance for the title. The Wales team this year is strong but play too conservative and haven't racked up the points. Tis a shame really because behind a strong scrum is a very good backline.

England u20 players have tended to look better for their clubs than for the u20's in the last 18 months or so, so I'm not sure which side will turn up. On paper they should certainly have more than enough. I like the look of this backline, even without the injured Watson.

Not sure about the England backrow. Two eights and a lock (though Wells work rate does suit 6). Definite lack of a proper ball stealing 7.

I'm pretty sure Sisi has played 7 for LI. Not a conventional Open Side though.

DaveM wrote:I'm pretty sure Sisi has played 7 for LI. Not a conventional Open Side though.

Would be good if it improved his fitness. IMO that's what's holding him back most, he's a big lump of a lad!

I'd have thought he'll end up as a 6. He's been injured all season.

Shame it looks like it's going to rain.

It's an odd looking pack with the aforementioned backrow and three props in the front row!

That is a big physical back-line too Sam Hill, Ollie Devoto, Ben Howard and Mark Jennings (according to his Sale profile) are all up around 15 stone. Jack Nowell has looked deceptively strong in the AP too, should hold him in good stead here.

How much has Devoto played at full back? I've only ever really seen him play at stand off.

According to the RFU Lundberg is down to play for the U18's against Wales on Saturday as well:

http://www.rfu.com/news/2013/march/news-articles/070313_u18_wales

A slightly odd pack but a pretty beefy one? Maybe a good call for wet cold conditions.

I had always thought of Devoto as a fl half who could play full back Cumbrian much like Alex Goode.

Nowell looked good against Quins I thought, would like to see him in action again. Should be a good start to a full weekend of rugby!

I think both Exeter and England see LCD primarily as a hooker now.

Similarly I think Bath see Devoto as a fulback who may move back to FH in future.

Cumbrian wrote:It's an odd looking pack with the aforementioned backrow and three props in the front row!

That is a big physical back-line too Sam Hill, Ollie Devoto, Ben Howard and Mark Jennings (according to his Sale profile) are all up around 15 stone. Jack Nowell has looked deceptively strong in the AP too, should hold him in good stead here.

How much has Devoto played at full back? I've only ever really seen him play at stand off.

According to the RFU Lundberg is down to play for the U18's against Wales on Saturday as well:

http://www.rfu.com/news/2013/march/news-articles/070313_u18_wales

Can you keep us updated with that game? Thanks. I don't think Wales will put out that good a team, 18 year olds are getting promoted to the U20's these days.

Will do Morgan.

It's quite strange seeing Ollie Devoto at full back. I've watched him play quite a bit in his progression from Sherborne RFC, County rugby, Bryanston School and more recently Bath Academy and I don't think I've ever seen him play anywhere other than at number 10, although I do see that Bath and England have him down as fly half and full back.

Having said that, Bath do have young Tom Heathcote who is not much older than Ollie as their semi-regular fly half and in truth I think Tom is by far the better player as a 10 - at the moment anyway. It does seem that Mike Pyrgos, head coach at Bryanston School, is turning out a few decent half backs these days, including his son Henry who isn't doing too badly up in Scotland at the moment.

I'd be interested to see Ollie play at 15, I've just checked and the game is live on Sky tonight. Mind you I'll have to record it because there's a much more important U20's game going on live on S4C and I can't miss that one!

Italy team:

Italy Under-20s 15 Angelo Esposito (Benetton Treviso) 14 David Michael Odiete (Zebre Rugby) 13 Michele Campagnaro (Benetton Treviso) 12 Giovanni BEnvenuti (Marchiol Mogliano) 11 Filippo Guarducci (Marchiol Mogliano) 10 Edoardo Padovani (Marchiol Mogliano) 9 Simone Marinaro (Fiamme Oro) 1 Luca Scarsini (Cammi Calvisano) 2 Alain Moriconi (UR Capitolina) 3 Tiziano Pasquali (Leicester Tigers) 4 Alessio Zdrilich (Cammi Calvisano) 5 Michele Andreotti (CammI Calvisano) 6 Andrea Trotta (Nuova Rugby Roma) 7 Jacopo Salvetti (Cammi Calvisano) (c) 8 Maxime Mbanda (Rugby Grande Milano)

Replacements 16 Luca Conti (L'Aquila Rugby) 17 Matteo Zanusso (M-Three San Donà) 18 Simone Ferrari (Crociati Rugby) 19 Vittorio Marazzi (Crociati Rugby) 20 Gianmarco Vian (M-Three San Donà) 21 Marcello Violi (Crociati Rugby) 22 Filippo Buscema (UR Capitolina) 23 Andrea Bettin (Petrarca Padova)

Not heard of the Tigers prop apparently he was picked up following a scout spotting him at an Italian age grade game. Can't get a confirmed age but I believe he's quite young. There's another Italian prop not playing tonight Tigers picked up after doing a coaching clinic he attended.

England showing some good expansive play and some nice half breaks from Nowell, he's starting to look like a real option.

England front row showing they can play with the ball in hand, this is the future IMO.

Too much side to side play from England not enough incision. Italy are pushing us wide and out. Nowell and Sisi carrying well.

Aye couple of good carries from your lad Wells as well Sam, I doubt Italy will live with this physicality for too long.

It seems the Italian tighthead at Tigers was playing under 18s rugby a month ago. England should be targeting that.

Italian 10 is awful, England 9 is not much better.

Italy miss touch with a penalty, jeez poor lad is having a mare.

How many times are they going to knock it on? I know it's heavy condition, but still...

Wells is doing alright, his carrying isn't what I've noticed before it's more his work rate. Nice to see him carrying more though. He's been loaned to Notts to get more experience.

FFS, they should have scored AT LEAST three tries by now, just not finishing them off.

Ive never seen such a conditioning mismatch on the international stage, England are so much bigger, stronger and quicker in every position!!!

How theyre still only 3 - 0 up I don't know

Had to come, this is going to be a cricket score.

Italy are actually fronting up well in the forwards. Their half backs are killing them.

Howler from the ref there.

Hard luck for Italy there, if it had been a foot shorter they'd have been in. England lucky not to get a yellow there, pretty cynical in the red zone.

Red card would have been harsh, fair enough.

And England balls up another chance in the Italy 22.

Ref is a bit erm... raw shall we say.

No control being exerted by the England half backs. They need to take this game by the scruff of the neck.

Cowan-Dickie is such an exciting talent, hooker though??

He's not doing a bad impression of one at the moment, he looks so hard to put down with the ball in hand.

What a break!

He's just immense in the loose and a great LH scrummager, why put him at hooker?

On cue there Cumbrian!

Cowan-Dickie is a good player but not sold on his lineout work just yet. Plenty of development time and brings a lot of physicality. Would like to see him make an effort to actually hook the ball at the scrum though.

Anyone notice how Barrow's doing in the second row?

Well, looking at the Wales- Scotland score, England are going to have to murderise Italy in the second half to stand a chance of taking the championship next week.

aitchw wrote:Anyone notice how Barrow's doing in the second row?

He's looking dynamic in attack and has been busy at the breakdown and the lineout. He's looked okay.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Cowan-Dickie is a good player but not sold on his lineout work just yet. Plenty of development time and brings a lot of physicality. Would like to see him make an effort to actually hook the ball at the scrum though.

He's only started playing hooker this season so understandable

A call from Lancaster for LCD to convert according to the commentators. That's an interesting insight into the level of Lancaster's coaching detail.

Barrow butchers a huge overlap but is rescued by the scrum half burrrowing over.

Yea came through last season Sam, he's been playing 2 at Plymouth I think on loan.

Has a bit of class about him but unconvinced at hooker.

Much better scrum with Morris at hook, LCD giving Italy TH problems straight away

What's the score? Our game ended 17-42. Two harsh sin-binnings and plenty more poor kicking from the tee though. That'll cost us dearly next week. We need Patchell back.

To be honest I'd hope LCD is giving the Italian tighthead trouble. By the looks of this article he was playing under 18s last month.

http://rugby1823.blogosfere.it/2012/02/under-18-litalia-batte-lirlanda-a-badia.html

I'd have thought we'd have targeted the scrum a little more.

24-0 55 mins gone.

EDIT: 31-0 penalty try.

Italys backline is truly awfull but they are making such easy progress when they throw it to the wider channels!!!

And such an easy try from a poor England mistake.

Wales best play has come from thei set peice, defence and back row, and so have Englands... next week promises to be an absolute stormer!!

Reckon England need to get another couple of trys here to go into next week just needing the win and not needing to beat Wales by X number of points.

No cohesion in England backline, pack v strong though

Ye pooly, the pack look immense, and as stong as Wales pack have looked I just can't see them matching England.

The backline however...

Does anyone know the points difference as it stands? I thought Wales were ahead before tonight, but not sure now, and England have taken 7 points off Wales already with 15 left