England Counties U18 have named their side to face Ireland U18 A in the final game of the U18 Tri-Nations Festival.
France U18 Poles Espoires have already claimed the title after beating Ireland 23-10 last weekend, and England Counties 14-8 in midweek, so this game will settle second and third place in the Festival.
England have made nine changes to the side that played in midweek as they seek to give everyone in their 24-man squad good game fine. Harrow’s Sam Miller retains the captaincy at blindside flanker, with Warwick’s Tom Dodd retaining his place at number 8.
Dodd’s schoolmate Josh Grimes stays at outside centre, with Kirkham Grammar’s Tom Carleton and Nick Ashcroft starting once again on the left wing and in the second row respectively. St Wilfred’s Louis Brown is at full back once again.
Mount St Mary’s openside Sam Jones comes into the side, with the midweek try scorer Max Clementson (The Oratory) moving to the bench. King’s Worcester’s James Newman moves fro the bench to join Ashcroft in the second row, with Solihull’s Charlie Morgan moving the other way.
It is all change in the front row. Morgan’s Solihull schoolmate Will Cutbill moves from the bench to the loosehead berth, likewise Cokethorpe’s Will Routledge at hooker and Kirkham Grammar’s Mat Woodward at tighthead, the third Kirkham Grammar School man in the starting XV. Mike Guida, Luke Chadwick, and Ben Jesson will come on from the bench.
Jesson’s Bishop Vesey’s teammate, Ollie Wem, starts at scrum half, with Warwick gramamr’s Sam Hollingsworth and outside half. Will Hardwick and Charlie Fatoma take their places on the bench.
Dartford Grammar’s Robbie Smith comes in at inside centre alongside Grimes, Skinners’ Lawrence Thresher is one the bench. Meanwhile the final change sees Oaklands College’s Tom Fawsett come into the right wing berth, with Worthing College’s Ollie Davis Smith taking his place on the bench.
Ireland U18 A v England Counties U18 – Saturday 2nd April, 14.00, Ashbourne RFC, Dublin.
England Counties U18 XV:
15 Louis Brown (St Wilfred’s)
14 Tom Fawsett (Oaklands College)
13 Josh Grimes (Warwick)
12 Robbie Smith (Dartford Grammar)
11 Tom Carleton (Kirkham Grammar)
10 Sam Hollingsworth (Warwick Grammar)
9 Ollie Wem (Bishop Vesey’s)
1 Will Cutbill (Solihull)
2 Will Routledge (Cokethorpe)
3 Mat Woodward (Kirkham Grammar)
4 James Newman (King’s Worcester)
5 Nick Ashcroft (Kirkham Grammar)
6 Sam Miller (Harrow, captain)
7 Sam Jones (Mount St Mary’s)
8 Tom Dodd (Warwick)
Replacements: 16 Luke Chadwick (Prince Henry’s Grammar) 17 Mike Guida (Henley College) 18 Ben Jesson (Bishop Vesey’s) 19 Charlie Morgan (Solihull) 20 Max Clemenston (The Oratory) 21 Lawrence Thresher (Skinners’) 22 Will Hardwick (Bedford Modern) 23 Charlie Fatoma (Trinity) 24 Ollie Davis Smith (Worthing College).
U18 Tri-Nations Series
Ireland U18 A 10-23 France U18 Poles Espoires
England Counties U18 8-14 France U18 Poles Espoires
Ireland U18 A v England Counties U18 – Ashbourne RFC, 2nd April, 14.00
