England U18: England name exciting team for first Test against South Africa

George Loose congratulates teammate Ben Douglas after he scored a try 17/4/2022

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England have named their side to take on South Africa on Friday in the first of three U18 Internationals this August.

 

For years England have toured South Africa every August, however Covid meant that the 2020 and 2021 tours were cancelled, now the team returns to kick off the 2022/23 season in style.

 

They will be facing South Africa U18U18  on Friday at 2.30pm, before then taking on South Africa A at 12.30pm on Tuesday ahead of a second Test against South Africa U18 on Saturday 27th August at 2.30pm, with all games taking place at Paarl Gymnasium.

 

Head Coach Jonathan Pendlebury has named an exciting side for what will be a tough game, South Africa are coming to the end of their season, while for England’s players this is the very first encounter of the season, meaning in many cases they will be a year younger than their opposition.

 

The side is led by the incredibly promising Henry Pollock of Stowe, who has a leading star of the 2021/22 school and academy season, excelling for Northampton Saints U18 and lifting the U18 Schools Vase and the Vase at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s. His school and clubmate Archie McParland is also selected, starting at scrum half.

 

McParland is one of five players in the starting side with prior U18 international experience, all in the backline, with Wellington College’s Rory Taylor at fly half, Dean Close’s Ioan Jones at fullback, Oakham’s Toby Cousins on the left wing, and Sedbergh’s Ben Redshaw at outside centre, a change from his usual back field position.

 

Outside Redshaw is his school and Newcastle Falcons teammate Tom Burton on the right wing, and completing the backline at inside centre is Whitgift and Harlequins star Sean Kerr, whose family actually hails from South Africa.

 

Up front in the back row with Pollock are Monkton Combe’s Jack Bennett at blindside and Sutton Valence’s Barney Merrett at number 8. Merrett’s Saracens teammate Olamide Sodeke is in the second row alongside Heckmondwike Grammar’s Tom Burrow, the sole Yorkshire Academy representative in the side.

 

In the front row there is another Newcastle Falcon, to join Burton and Redshaw, in the form of Barnard Castle’s Jacob Oliver at hooker, while propping are Clifton College’s Louie Trevett and Beechen Cliff’s Billy Sela.

 

The bench is exciting too, and there too Sedbergh are well represented through Finn Baker and Will Wootton, Baker is joined by fellow Newcastle Falcon Isaac Keller of Gosforth Academy. Beechen Cliff also have a further representative in fly half Raff Weston. There are two Worcester Warriors forwards on the bench, RGS Worcester’s Loic KEasey and Ellesmere College’s Will Owen.

 

There are two capped players on the bench in Trinity star Conor Byrne of Harlequins and City of Oxford College’s Wasps man, Will Glister. Glister is joined by fellow Wasps and Daily Mail Trophy winner with Berkhamsted School, Alex O’Driscoll, and completing the bench are Denstone College’s George Perkins and Truro College’s George Edson.

England U18 XV vs South Africa (Friday, 2.30pm BST, Paarl Gymnasium)
15 Ioan Jones (Gloucester, Dean Close)*
14 Tom Burton (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh)
13 Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh)*
12 Sean Kerr (Harlequins, Whitgift)
11 Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints, Oakham)*
10 Rory Taylor (London Irish, Wellington College)*
9 Archie McParland (Northampton Saints, Stowe)*
1 Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears, Clifton College)
2 Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons, Barnard Castle)
3 Billy Sela (Bath, Beechen Cliff)
4 Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, Gravesend Grammar)
5 Tom Burrow (Yorkshire Academy, Heckmondwike Grammar)
6 Jack Bennett (Bath, Monkton Combe)
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, Stowe, captain)
8 Barney Merrett (Saracens, Sutton Valence)

Replacements 
16 Loic Keasey (Worcester Warriors, RGS Worcester)
17 Alex O’Driscoll (Wasps, Berkhamsted)
18 Isaac Keller (Newcastle Falcons, Gosforth Academy)
19 Finn Baker (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh)
20 Will Owen (Worcester Warriors, Ellesmere College)
21 George Perkins (Leicester Tigers, Denstone College)
22 Will Wootton (Sale Sharks, Sedbergh)
23 Raff Weston (Bath, Beechen Cliff)
24 George Edson (Exeter Chiefs, Truro College)
25 Conor Byrne (Harlequins, Trinity)*
26 Will Glister (Wasps, City of Oxford College)*

*Capped at U18 level

Fixtures (all at Paarl Gymnasium & available on SuperSport Schools)
19 August, KO, 14.30 BST, South Africa U18
23 August, KO 12.30 BST, South Africa A
27 August, KO 14.30 BST, South Africa U18

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