The ISRFC Lambs have named their squad for their four game tour of Argentina over Easter.
The tour runs from the 25th March to the 5th April, 25 men are selected for the tour, fifteen forwards and ten backs. The captaincy will be split between those who have captained the Lambs in their fixtures leading up to the tour, Giggleswick loosehead Nick Atkinson, Wibech Grammar hooker Oliver Short, Sam Hudson, the St Peter’s York number 8, and Felsted fly half, George Hitchcock.
Hitchcock is one of three Felsted pupils in the squad, his half back parter James Lennon also tours, along with Mike Galsworthy at prop.
Blundell’s are the most represented school though, they have four players in the squad, Ben Oliphant-Thompson at prop, Charlie Wilder in the back row, and twins Arthur and Euan Friend in the back three and at centre respectively.
Three of Woodhouse Grove’s Lambs contingent will also travel, prop Edward Linkogel, Louis Fraser in the back row, and Mason Knowles in the back three. Pangbourne College, the NatWest Vase semi finalists, will have two representatives, James Costin-Pratt at scrum half and Will Vaughan in the centres.
That leaves ten other schools represented. In the pack, Cheltenham College prop Daniel Ali, Queen Ethelburga’s hooker Jack Starkey, Churcher’s Samuel Bloomer and Bloxham’s George Cassell in the back row, and the second row trio of Eddie Goss (Wellingborough), Harry Johnson (Ashville College), and Alec Hampden-Smith (Mount Kelly) all travel.
In the back division Royal Hospital School’s Toby Buckland completes the half back quartet, with Plymouth College’s Isaac Rayworth the third of the centre trio, Truro School speedster Daniel Hubble is in the back three.
The tour will take in four games, kicking off on Sunday 27th March against Uruguay U18 before a game against a Buenos Aires Select XV on Tuesday 29th March. That is followed by a huge clash against Argentina U18 on Thursday 31st March, with a game against San Isidro Club on Saturday 2nd April to round off the tour.
Speaking following the announcement of the touring party, Lambs National Director Alex Laybourne said:
“We have selected a very exciting squad to take to Argentina; one which will be able to play ‘Fast and Free’ as well as matching the South American physicality that we are expecting. The players will be challenged in four tough fixtures, but will also have the tour of a lifetime both on and off the field.”
ISRFC Lambs Tour Fixtures:
Sunday 27th March – Uruguay U18, 12.00
Tuesday 29th March – Buenos Aires Select XV, 15.00
Thursday 31st March – Argentina U18, 15.00
Saturday 2nd April – San Isidro Club, 15.00
| ISRFC Lambs Squad to Tour Argentina | |
| Name | School |
| Forwards | |
| Props | |
| Nick Atkinson (c) | Giggleswick |
| Edward Linkogel | Woodhouse Grove |
| Ben Oliphant Thompson | Blundell’s |
| Daniel Ali | Cheltenham College |
| Mike Galsworthy | Felsted |
| Hookers | |
| Oliver Short (c) | Wisbech Grammar School |
| Jack Starkey | Queen Ethelburga’s College |
| Second Row | |
| Eddie Goss | Wellingborough |
| Harry Johnson | Ashville College |
| Alec Hampden-Smith | Mount Kelly |
| Back Row | |
| Louis Fraser | Woodhouse Grove |
| George Cassell | Bloxham |
| Samuel Bloomer | Chucher’s College |
| Charlie Wilder | Blundell’s |
| Sam Hudson (c) | St Peter’s School, York |
| Backs | |
| Half Backs | |
| James Costin-Pratt | Pangbourne College |
| James Lennon | Felsted |
| George Hitchcock (c) | Felsted |
| Toby Buckland | Royal Hospital School |
| Centres | |
| Euan Friend | Blundell’s |
| Isaac Rayworth | Plymouth College |
| Will Vaughan | Pangbourne College |
| Back Three | |
| Mason Knowles | Woodhouse Grove |
| Arthur Friend | Blundell’s |
| Daniel Hubble | Truro |
Squad Profiles:
Name: Daniel Ali
School: Cheltenham College
Weight (kg): 100
Height (cm): 175
Position: Prop
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Running out of the 1st XV changing room for the first time.
Favourite Quote: “Go hard or go home”
Name: Mike Galsworthy
School: Felsted
Weight (kg): 115
Height (cm): 185
Position: Prop
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing on the 4G pitch at Allianz Park for the first time with Saracens EPDG – seeing my shirt in the changing room with my name attached and not being able to stop grinning!
Favourite Quote: “You don’t get what you wish for – you get what you work for”
Name: Ben Oliphant-Thompson
School: Blundell’s
Weight (kg): 107
Height (cm): 193
Position: Prop
Lambs Appearances: 3
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Captaining my school side in the Champions cup semi final against Epsom College, a game we narrowly lost but could have gone either way.
Favourite Quote: “Players win games, teams win championships.”
Name: Edward Linkogel
School: Woodhouse Grove
Position: Prop
Lambs Appearances: 2
Name Nick Atkinson (c)
School: Giggleswick
Position: Prop
Lambs Appearances: 3
Name: Jack Starkey
School: Queen Ethelburga’s College
Weight (kg): 93
Height (cm): 178
Position: Hooker
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Jonny’s drop goal in 2003. I was 6 and went to my local rugby club, York RUFC, the next week and began my career. So many of my best moments of my life so far have stemmed from taking up rugby and specifically that drop goal.
Favourite Quote: “That’ll be a Tabata” – Henry Paul. Coach, Queen Ethelburgas College.
Name: Oliver Short (c)
School: Wisbech Grammar School
Weight (kg): 94
Height (cm): 175
Position: Hooker
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Going to the World Cup quarter final, Scotland vs. Australia, at Twickenham
Favourite Quote: “You don’t need superpowers to be a superhero”
Name: Alec Hampden-Smith
School: Mount Kelly
Weight (kg): 83
Height (cm): 192
Position: Lock
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing centre when on tour in Marbella
Favourite Quote: ” Btec does count as a qualification”
Name: Edward Goss
School: Wellingborough
Weight (kg): 99
Height (cm): 193
Position: Lock
Lambs Appearances: 5
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing rugby on tour in Australia with my best mates.
Favourite Quote: ‘You gotta be like a midget in a urinal, you gotta be on your toes.’ Nick Cummins
Name: Harry Johnson
School: Ashville College
Position: Lock
Lambs Appearances: 5
Name: Sam Hudson (c)
School: St Peter’s, York
Weight (kg): 89
Height (cm): 193
Position: Back Row
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Beating Sedbergh In the quarter-finals of Rosslyn Park on pitch one.
Favourite Quote: Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.
Name: Charlie Wilder
School: Blundell’s
Weight (kg): 84
Height (cm): 178
Position: Back Row
Lambs Appearances: 3
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing Epsom College in the semi finals of the Champions Trophy.
Favourite Quote: The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Name: Samuel Bloomer
School: Churcher’s College
Position: Back Row
Lambs Appearances: 4
Name: Louis Fraser
School: Woodhouse Grove
Position: Back Row
Lambs Appearances: 3
Name: George Cassell
School: Bloxham
Position: Back Row
Lambs Appearances: 4
Name: James Lennon
School: Felsted
Position: Scrum Half
Lambs Appearances: 3
Name: James Costin-Pratt
School: Pangbourne College
Position: Scrum Half
Lambs Appearances: 4
Name: George Hitchcock
School: Felsted
Weight (kg): 83
Height (cm): 177
Position: Fly Half
Lambs Appearances: 6
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Sitting in the No. 10 seat in the home changing room at Twickenham and then playing in the U15 final.
Favourite Quote: Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true.
Name: Toby Buckland
School: Royal Hospital School
Weight (kg): 84
Height (cm): 181
Position: Fly Half
Lambs Appearances: 3
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Winning against the unbeaten side Framlingham School in the last game of the season, by a single point.
Favourite Quote: The more I practise, the luckier I get.
Name: Will Vaughan
School: Pangbourne College
Weight (kg): 86
Height (cm): 177
Position: Centre
Lambs Appearances: 5
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Lambs getting the kick in the final play of the game to win our first match against the Irish exiles
Favourite Quote: ‘Knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad’ -Brian O’Driscoll.
Name: Isaac Rayworth
School: Plymouth College
Weight (kg): 78
Height (cm): 181
Position: Centre
Lambs Appearances: 3
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing in South Africa.
Favourite Quote: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it’s stupid.”
Name: Euan Friend
School: Blundell’s
Weight (kg): 86
Height (cm): 186
Position: Centre
Lambs Appearances: 1
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Playing against Durban Academy, a township school, in South Africa. The boys we met there were inspiring.
Favourite Quote: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Name: Mason Knowles
School: Woodhouse Grove
Position: Back Three
Lambs Appearances: 4
Name: Arthur Friend
School: Blundell’s
Position: Back Three
Lambs Appearances: 3
Name: Daniel Hubble
School: Truro School
Weight (kg): 83
Height (cm): 176
Position: Back Three
Lambs Appearances: 4
Favourtie Rugby Memory: Being coached by Josh Lewsey, and then having the chance to play against him.
Favourite Quote: I never ever believed that I would be able to give up on this dream which has driven me to live, breathe, love and embrace the game of rugby from the earliest days that I can remember. Jonny Wilkinson
