England u20 squad

First topic message reminder :

Only a couple of changes since the initial squad. Johnny Williams has been left out because he's first choice at LI. Still, a 10, 12, 13 of Brophy-Clews, Mallinder and Marchant is pretty tasty. Assuming Brophy-Clews gets released of course. Overall this looks a useful group of players, and there is a decent spread around the academies:

Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins)
Darren Atkins (Bath Rugby)
Joshua Bainbridge (Yorkshire Carnegie)
Lewis Boyce (Yorkshire Carnegie)*
Theo Brophy Clews (London Irish)*
Callum Chick (Newcastle Falcons)
Andrew Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
Max Malins (Saracens)
Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints)
Joseph Marchant (Harlequins)
Jack Maunder (Exeter Chiefs)*
Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)
Joe Mullis (Gloucester Rugby)
George Nott (Sale Sharks)
Paolo Odogwu (Leicester Tigers)
George Perkins (Saracens)
Jake Pope (Sale Sharks)
Taylor Prell (Yorkshire Carnegie)
Mathew Protheroe (Gloucester Rugby)
Will Safe (Gloucester Rugby)
Jamie Shillcock (Worcester Warriors)
Jack Singleton (Worcester Warriors)
Samuel Smith (Worcester Warriors)
Stanley South (Harlequins)
William Stuart (Wasps)
Huw Taylor (Worcester Warriors)
Oliver Thorley (Gloucester Rugby)
Billy Walker (Saracens)
Jack Walker (Yorkshire Carnegie)
Calum Waters (Harlequins)
Tom West (Wasps)
Archie White (Harlequins)

Bit of a thumping taking place in France.

England currently losing 22-5 with 25' gone

29-12 at HT

5 tries to 2, sounds like a busy game

34-12 50' gone

41-17 full time
Only watched the 2H but England seems to be a bit underpowered (specially the forwards). Are they mainly 18 or 19 years old?

Think they are mostly younger guys. It was said as much after last week. Guess it's short term pain for long term gain.

Didn't manage to avoid the thrashing then. I assume there will be some sort of internal review into how England have been so poor this season.

Ouch so am I right in thinking that's our worst 6N's to date?

yappysnap wrote:Ouch so am I right in thinking that's our worst 6N's to date?

With one win out of 5 games it is quite a safe bet...

Joe Lydon has resigned as Head of Player Development (or something similar). I wonder if there is a link to the struggles of the u20s?

It sounds like the 7, Willis, played well anyway.

France, Scotland and Wales had very good teams this year. England U20s were surprisingly very poor. Wales did well to beat Scotland and France, but dominated their other opponents. I can't imagine England staying this poor for much longer, perhaps they will be better by the time the JWC rolls around.

England have had some strong teams over recent years....but other teams will bring strong teams through.

If the team is young, maybe they have identified some talent in a year or so rather than immediate.

Players like my Falcons Callum Chick just seem a lttle lightweight at the moment for an 8. Needs a few inches in height and stone in weight

England have not had access to many of their second year players. I watched the Wales game and the gulf in physical development between some of the players was huge, the Wales 8 looked like he could have been some of the England lads dad.

Certainly not helped by a very average selection at half back for England. In prior years we've had some very good players particularly at ten that has helped guide the team. Protheroe looked physically weak and tactically naive.

Imagine If England were to add to the U20 for the RWC

6) Underhill
7) Evans (After this weekend I can see him getting a call up)
8) Chick
9) Green
10) Brophy-Clews
11) Perkins
12) Mallinder
13) Williams
14) Merchant
15) Protheroe

My worry is about the tight 5 on the whole.

But under Haag i would back that team.

Welly, protheroe will be ineligible for the JRWC, as it is an irb sanctioned event and as he's not English won't be able to play.

With Underhill, as the England under 20's team is a development tool for players in the English system, has Underhill made himself unavailable as he's playing in Wales and therefore not in the English system? I was surprised not to see him in the six nations under 20s team

Well that is stupid by England why cap a player @ U20 level if he can't play in the JRWC. Oh well, he's been a bit of a mix back this 6N's.

RE Underhill it was all a bit hypothetical.

I fully expect Underhill to be in the senior tour of Aus anyway.

Thibk the Underhill hype is getting a bit much now.

yappysnap wrote:Thibk the Underhill hype is getting a bit much now.

Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I personally think he is being under-hyped. His name should always appear in block capitals to afford him the proper respect.

Still sounds like  hobbit's name to me.

Anyway, just for our friend from Workington/Carlisle/Appleby/Weherever:

Sam UNDERHILL

I am glad you didn't say Whitehaven, would have lost me blob. Ahs frae Wukington, marra.

Whitehavens a nice place

I worked in Cockermouth for 6 months. That name still sounds so wrong!

This should really be on another thread, but the u18s just thumped their Welsh equivalents. So, however inept this years' group is, there is a very exciting set of players to come:

U18's win

There is some seriously impressive play here. The Leicester academy seems to have finally cranked into action, and Ibitoye looks some talent.

It was a good win for England but it was wales second choice 15, however you beat our first 15 a few weeks ago its promising signs for England. Grayson at fly half looks a prospect

Grayson Jr suddenly makes me feel old.  I remember watching his Dad when I first got into rugby in the mid-late 90s.  

It show's you how relatively small the rugby community is; Paul Grayson's and Jim Mallinder's sons playing together at Northampton.

Any one see how ibitoye played?? Heard a fair bit of praise post game about him.

Is this a one off U18 match or are there others?

It was the last game of the under 18s tournament held in south wales yappy comprising wales,.England, England A, Italy and scotland

Cheers Raven, were these players England or England A then?

England (first xv) thumped wales something like 41-9 and the English a team lost to Italy 17-9 on the same day. The two players mentioned above were from England's team that beat wales. I imagine England won overall but I don't know how they fared in theirs previous games sorry but wales beat Scotland and Italy so its a safe bet that England (first xv) would have comfortably beat them too

True Raven wrote:It was a good win for England but it was wales second choice 15, however you beat our first 15 a few weeks ago its promising signs for England.  Grayson at fly half looks a prospect

Why would we do that? Bloody awful idea and result. We need to get our arses in gear at U18 level and have needed to for years.