England have named their Men’s U19 side to take on Japan U19 this Saturday at Cambridge’s Ellgia Fields, 2pm KO.
Andy Titterrell is Head Coach of the U19 group, and he is joined by the England U18 Head Coach, Jonathan Pendlebury, acting as defence coach, and Pendlebury’s U18 assistant coach Will Parkin, who will look after the attack. Former Wasps hooker and back rower Ashley Johnson will be the scrum coach.
It is the first of two fixtures this season for the England U19 side, they will also face Scotland U19 on Saturday 26th April in a 2pm kick off.
The squad includes a number of U18 players including some that are ineligible for the England U18 squad for the U18 Six Nations Festival, which was announced earlier in the week, as that competition has a January 1stbirth date cut off.
Five of those U18s start Saturday’s game, including Durham School’s Patrick Hogg, of Newcastle Falcons, who was badly injured while captaining England U18 in the summer, it will be superb for him to be back in white on Saturday and he starts on the blindside flank. He is joined by a fellow U18 in the forward pack, Richard Huish’s Kieran Hill, who starts at hooker, where he has captained Bristol Bears U18s superbly throughout the Premiership Rugby U18 Academy League campaign.
The backline contains three further U18s, including Saracens pair Asa Stewart-Harris and Noah Calouri. Stewart-Harris hails from St Albans School and starts at scrum half, he has vast experience at U18 International level, as does Calorui, the Mill Hill School winger, who scored a wonder try for England U18 in South Africa this summer. Seaford College’s Sean Sharp starts at full back, and it will be a first ever international cap for Sharp who starred for Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby U18 Academy League, one of the standout players across the entire league.
The team is captained by former Kirkham Grammar School skipper Seb Kelly, the Sale Sharks man starts at openside and is joined in the team by his former Kirkham and current Sale teammate Ollie Davies, who featured for England U20 during the Six Nations, he starts at fly half.
Two others from that U20 campaign also start, Northampton Saints duo Oli Scola and Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Scola starting at loosehead, with Ainsworth-Cave in the second row. Toby Wilson, another Sale Sharks, is a part of the wider U20 EPS and starts at inside centre.
Elsewhere Gloucester’s Olly Allport starts at 8, with Brive’s Luke Griffiths set for a first international appearance in the second row. Durham University’s Sam Graham, and England U18 veteran, starts at tighthead.
In the backline are two further players making their first international appearances, Newcastle Falcons’ Rhys Beeckmans starts at outside centre, with Gloucester’s Jack Cotgreave on the left wing.
On the bench are a number of U18s, including four that will be in action at the U18 Six Nations Festival in Vichy, France. Gordon’s title winning skipper Elliot Williams is among them, the Harlequins man can cover the second row and 8. Leicester Tigers number 8 George Marsh of Denstone College is another of those that will be heading to France in April, likewise Northampton Saints full back James Pater, who has been a sensation for the Leys, and Hartpury College centre Will Knight of Gloucester, who would win his first international cap.
As would another U18 Gabriel Registe of Saracens, the Campion tighthead has been outstanding this season. Elsewhere on the bench, the U18s continue to pack it out, Bath’s James Linegar is already known to many, the Kingswood fly half has been outstanding for school, club, and England. Radley College’s Jonno Balding is another U18, the Gloucester man covers the second row.
George Newman of Truro College is the other U18 in the squad, the Exeter Chiefs U18 skipper is joined by two other Exeter Academy men on the bench in Josh Mann and Israel Akinrowo, with Sale Sharks hooker Tom Davis completing the bench.
Speaking ahead of the game, Andy Titterrell said: “We have assembled a very exciting, young group for Saturday’s game that will give a platform to evolve players’ skillsets ahead of another key period of development this summer.”
“To be joined by Jon [Pendlebury], Will [Parkin] and all our pathway staff has been a fulfilling experience, a brilliant opportunity to further align and a reminder of the quality we possess on and off the field in the pathway. A warm welcome must be extended to Ashley [Johnson], whose expertise has been invaluable in preparation for this weekend.”
“Following on from the U20 Six Nations period it’s imperative to open another window for progression and growth for our players, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity in Cambridge.”
England U19 Men’s XV vs Japan (Current Club & School if U18):
15 Sean Sharp (Harlequins, Seaford College)
14 Noah Caluori (Saracens, Mill Hill)
13 Rhys Beeckmans (Newcastle Falcons)
12 Toby Wilson (Sale Sharks)
11 Jack Cotgreave (Gloucester)
10 Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks)
9 Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens, St Albans)
1 Oli Scola (Northampton Saints)
2 Kieran Hill (Bristol Bears, Richard Huish)
3 Sam Graham (Durham University)
4 Luke Griffiths (CA Brive)
5 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints)
6 Patrick Hogg (Newcastle Falcons, Durham)
7 Seb Kelly (Sale Sharks, captain)
8 Olly Allport (Gloucester)
Replacements:
16 Tom Davis (Sale Sharks)
17 Josh Mann (Exeter Chiefs)
18 Gabriel Registe (Saracens, Campion)
19 Jonno Balding (Gloucester, Radley College)
20 Elliot Williams (Harlequins, Gordon’s)
21 George Marsh (Leicester Tigers, Denstone College)
22 George Newman (Exeter Chiefs, Truro College)
23 James Linegar (Bath, Kingswood)
24 Israel Akinrowo (Exeter Chiefs)
25 Will Knight (Gloucester, Hartpury College)
26 James Pater (Northampton Saints, The Leys)
England U19 Men’s Confirmed 2025 Fixtures:
Saturday 22nd March: England U19 v Japan U19 – 2pm KO
Saturday 26th April: England U19 v Scotland U19 – 2pm KO
