England have named their side for their U18 5 Nations Festival opener against Ireland U18 at SGS Filton College tomorrow.
The fixture, kicking off at 13.00, is the first game of the Festival, which will then move to Wales for the duration of the Championship, where it will be split between the Caerphilly Centre of Excellence, and St Helen’s.
The England side features a few changes from the one that just beat Wales 27-26 thanks to a late James Grayson drop goal on Sunday 13th March.
The Moulton College man moves from the bench to the starting XV after that display, with starting fly half on the day, Wellington College’s Tom Parton, moving to his more natural full back.
Leicester Grammar School’s Ben White is also promoted from the bench, he starts at scrum half ahead of Harry Randall, with another Wellington College man, Rory Brand, coming on to the bench.
Jacob Umaga and Trinity’s Gabriel Ibitoye maintain their centre partnership, with Denstone College’s Levi Davis retained on the wing. Umaga’s Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth schoolmate Sam Yawayawa comes in for Joe Cokanasiga on the other wing.
The backline bench features to new names for the U18s this season, an third Wellington College man in U17 Ben Loader, and Harrow’s Reuben Bird-Tulloch, fresh from finishing as a runner up in the HSBC Rosslyn Park National School 7s.
The winners of that competition were Cranleigh, and their star man Dino Lamb-Cona is also on the bench tomorrow.
Starting in the pack is another winner from last week, Bromsgrove’s Henry Walker, who picked up the U18 NatWest Schools Cup, starts at hooker once again. He is promoted from the bench along with KES Aston’s Joseph Morris at tighthead, with Hartpury College’s Alex Seville selected once again at loosehead.
Royal Hospital School’s Alex Rayment will cover Walker from the bench, with St Paul’s Catholic College’s Jarod Leat and Felsted’s Ehren Painter covering the two prop positions.
Man of the match last week, Haileybury’s Nick Isiekwe, starts again in the second row alongside Hartlepool 6th form College’s Josh Williams.
Tonbridge’s Ben Earl, fresh from Vase success at the HSBC Rosslyn Park National School 7s, starts at number 8 once again, with the very much in form Tom Curry of Oundle School at openside. His twin brother, Ben, comes back into the side on the other flank. They are a real duo to look out for, Ireland’s half backs will have a tough day ahead of them. Denstone College’s Sam Lewis covers the back row from the bench, along with Lamb-Cona.
England start their campaign against Ireland tomorrow, before facing fixtures against Scotland on Saturday 2nd April and Wales on Wednesday 6th, with England ‘A’ also playing on Wednesday 6th, against Italy.
You can see full details of the U18 5 Nations here: U18 5 Nations Details – And the Ireland U18 squad here: Ireland U18.
England U18 XV
15 Tom Parton (Wellington College)
14 Levi Davis (Denstone College)
13 Gabriel Ibitoye (Trinity)
12 Jacob Umaga (Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth)
11 Sam Yawayawa (Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth)
10 James Grayson (Moulton College)
9 Ben White (Leicester Grammar)
1 Alex Seville (Hartpury College)
2 Henry Walker (Bromsgrove)
3 Joseph Morris (KES Aston)
4 Josh Williams (Hartlepool 6th form College)
5 Nick Isiekwe (Haileybury)
6 Ben Curry (Oundle)
7 Tom Curry (Oundle)
8 Ben Earl (Tonbridge)
Replacements: 16 Alex Rayment (Royal Hospital School) 17 Jaord Leat (St Paul’s Catholic College) 18 Ehren Painter (Felsted) 19 Dino Lamb-Cona (Cranleigh) 20 Sam Lewis (Denstone College) 21 Rory Brand (Wellington College) 22 Reuben Bird-Tulloch (Harrow) 23 Ben Loader (Wellington College)
U18 5 Nations Schedule:
England v Ireland – Filton College. 24th March, 13.00 (live on www.englandrugby.com)
Wales v Scotland – St Helen’s, 25th March, 14.30
Ireland v Scotland – Caerphilly, 29th March, 17.15
Wales v Italy – Caerphilly, 29th March, 19.30
Italy v Ireland – Caerphilly, 2nd April, 11.00
England v Scotland – Caerphilly, 2nd April, 13.30
England A v Italy – St Helen’s, 6th April, 17.15
Wales v England – St Helen’s, 6th April, 19.15
