England U20 vs. FranceU20's

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Chat about the game vs. France begins on page 4.

15 Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors)
14 Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers)
13 Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks)
12 Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
11 Jack Arnott (Exeter Chiefs)
10 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
9 Alex Day (Northampton Saints)

1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
2 Nathan Morris (London Wasps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
4 Elliott Stooke (Gloucester Rugby)
5 Dom Barrow (Leeds Carnegie)
6 Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers)
7 Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs)
8 Jack Clifford (Harlequins) (c)

Replacements
16 Danny Herriott (Northampton Saints)
17 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
18 Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
19 Tom Jubb (Saracens)
20 David Sisi (London Irish)
21 Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)
22 Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
23 Tom Stephenson (Northampton Saints)

French Team:

15. Wieprecht (Clermont); 14. Lacroix (Albi), 13. Fickou (Toulouse), 12. Dussartre (Racing), 11. Parez (Racing); 10. Mallet (Stade français), 9. Serin (Bordeaux); 7. Camara (Massy), 8. Tauleigne (Bourgoin), 6. Babillot (Castres); 5. Jedraziak (cap., Clermont), 4. Bastien (Agen); 3. Cotet (Perpignan), 2. Ruffenach (Biarritz), 1. Baille (Toulouse).

Remplaçants: 16. Hollet (Perpignan), 17. Custoja (Perpignan), 18. Vartanov (Racing), 19. Cros (Toulouse), 20. Domenech (Narbonne), 21. Vialelle (Castres), 22. Le Bourhis (La Rochelle), 23. Singer (Clermont).


Loosehead Prop:

Luke Cowan-Dickie (6ft 0in & 17st 4lb) 19 (Exeter Chiefs)
Alec Hepburn (6ft 1in & 15st 12lb) 19 (Wasps)

Tighthead Prop:

Kyle Sinckler (6ft 0in & 18st 12lb) 19 (Harlequins)
Scott Wilson (6ft 2in * 18st 10lb) 18 (Newcastle Falcons)

Hooker

Max Crumpton (5ft 11in & 15st 10lb) 19 (Saracens)
Nathan Morris (6ft 0in & 17st 2lb) 19 (Wasps)
Scott Spurling (5ft 10in & 15st 10lb) 19 (Saracens)

Second Row:

Dominic Barrow (6ft 6in & 17st 11lb) 19 (Leeds Carnegie)
Tom Jubb (6ft 6in & 15st 8lb) 19 (Saracens)
Tom Price (6ft 9in & 16st 5lb) 19 (Leicester)
Elliott Stooke (6ft 7in & 18st 1lb) 19 (Gloucester)
Harry Wells (6ft 5in & 17st 4lb) 19 (Leicester)

Blindside Flanker

Ross Moriaty (6ft 3in & 15st 3lb) 18 (Gloucester)

Openside Flanker

Matt Hankin (6ft 0in & 14st 2lb) 19 (Saracens)

No 8:

Jack Clifford (6ft 4in & 15st 10lb) 19 (Harlequins)
David Sisi (6ft 4in & 18st 12lb) 19 (London Irish)

Scrum Half

Calum Braley (5ft 11in & 13st 0lb) 18 (Bristol)
Alex Day (6ft 0in & 13st 9lb) 19 (Northampton)
Nathan Fowles (5ft 10in & 14st 0lb) 19 (Sale)

Flyhalf

Henry Slade (6ft 3in & 13st 7lb) 19 (Exeter)
Ollie Devoto (6ft 0in & 15st 1lb) 19 (Bath)
Will Hooley (5ft 12in & 11st 11lb) 19 (Northampton)

Inside Centre

Sam Hill (6ft 0in & 15st 10lb) 19 (Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Stephenson (6ft 1in & 14st 11lb) (Northampton)

Outside Centre

Mark Jennings (6ft 0in & 14st 6lb) 19 (Sale Sharks)
Harry Sloan

Winger

Jack Arnott (5ft 11in & 11st 4lb) 19 (Exeter)
Ben Howard (6ft 5in & 14st 13lb) 19 (Worcester)
Henry Purdy

Fullback

Tom Collins (5ft 11 & 12st 8lb) 18 (Northampton)
Jack Nowell (5ft 11in & 14st 0lb) 19 (Exeter)
Anthony Watson (6ft 2in & 13st 5lb) 18 (London Irish)

England v Scotland, live on Sky Sports HD
Date: Friday, February 1
Venue: Plymouth Albion RFC
Kick-off: 17:45

Ireland v England
Date: Friday, February 8
Venue: Dubarry Park, Athlone
Kick-off: 18:35

England v France, live on RFU.com
Date: Saturday, February 23
Venue: Sixways, Worcester
Kick-off: 15:00

England v Italy, live Sky Sports HD
Date: Friday, March 8
Venue: Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Kick-off: 20:05

Wales v England
Date: Friday, March 15
Venue: Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay
Kick-off: 19:30

I think that given he has shoved Brookes out the way and is already demanding first team games in a similar way to Cole at 21 he has a bright future. If Castro departs I'd expect him to be fighting for the bench spot nect season which would see him get a lot of games albeit from the bench or starting whilst Cole is with England. Certainly his solid scrummaging and bullocking runs are getting him a good reputation in the stands and on the offy board.

I thought Balmain was a LH??

Some where along the road he started playing both sides and loosehead for the A team. He seems to be a tighthead now and was originally signed as such, would be handy if he could retain the ability to play both sides though. Not unusual for Tigers to get developing props to play both sides and then specialise, they did that with Castro and are doing it with Mulipola.

RDW_Scotland wrote:It's a shame that there's some genuinely talented guys in the Scotland team there but chances are they won't be able to compete because England will be so physically superior to them.

Saying that, they had games against he Scotland club team and Ayr so they will hopefully be better prepared for the physicality.

In years gone bye the scots u20s packed has been thumped by opposing teams but I like the look of this pack. A lot of them are at top professional clubs so should be physically prepared. Sinclair is at Perpignan has been putting in some bigs shifts there and has looked easily one of the best locks over there this season, gray is huge and played for glasgow. Hopefully these 2 and the likes of Bordill & Ashe will match the physicality from the English head on. Bhatti and Rae are two pretty powerful props so confident with this team.
The backs look good compared to previous years too especially half backs and centres. Been impressed with Chris Auld of Gala, spent most of last season injured but bounced back and is in great form.

To be fair other than the props, I don't think the English pack is particularly massive. The two hookers are fairly matched up. The second rows seem about even with their Scottish counterparts from the descriptions on here. The English back-row isn't huge either with two players that are still eligible for the U18's side.

England have 3 props on the bench, which is weird. Even if Cowan-Dickie is covering hooker I still don't see why you'd bring on the 3rd one. It's not like there aren't hookers available.

It'll be interesting to see how the side goes. There are some young backrows in the matchday squad who weren't originally named in full u20 squad. It's a shame there is no Nowell, but Slade, Hill and Watson should be worth watching.

As for young THs, Balmain will do well to play for England in the next couple of years. He'll have to get past Wilson, PDJ, Thomas, Brookes, but also Sinkler, Collier, and Knight.

It does look like Cowan-Dickie is being viewed as a future hooker by the England and Exeter management. I like the fact that somebody has thought about the future and identified a need. If he can develop into the role quickly he could be a candidate for the Saxons very quickly.

We have loads of big bruising ball carrying hookers....the problem is none of them can hit a barn door with a banjo when it comes to throwing.

IF he learns to throw he'll have an advantage straight away...

LCD (nice) is some talent, I'm not sure I'd be messing around with his development. He looks a class act already at LH.

If Balmain is going to get ahead of all those LHs then he is definitely in the right place to do it. Cole had the benefit of learning from Castro and now Balmain has the benefit of learning from both of them, can't get a much better school than that.

I would expect Castro to go next year or the year after and at 21 Balmain has plenty of time to get the game time he needs.

Of course, we are talking about back-up here as Cole is still only 25 which is ridiculous in itself.

Just had a look a an article about Fraser Balmain. I haven't seen him play, but from what people are sayign he sounds incredibly exciting. One line from the article particularly resonates:

'One 30-yard run, carrying defenders as he went, had the crowd on their feet.'

Sounds great. But what is he in the long run- loose or tight head?


http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Fraser-Balmain-looks-big-future-Leicester-Tigers/story-17985321-detail/story.html

GeordieFalcon wrote:We have loads of big bruising ball carrying hookers....the problem is none of them can hit a barn door with a banjo when it comes to throwing.

IF he learns to throw he'll have an advantage straight away...

couldn't agree more! Koree Britton the ex-U20 hooker for Glaws is outstanding in the loose and scrum for his age and really has the potential to go on and be an excellent player. But, exactly as you say cannot hit his jumper/throw straight to save his life! He is being given plenty of game time by Glaws this season, so hopefully it will improve; but he is one of a number of hookers who just cannot master this skill. It's not as if they need to learn how to hook anymore, so it's rather strange they can't do this either!

formerly known as Sam wrote:Some where along the road he started playing both sides and loosehead for the A team. He seems to be a tighthead now and was originally signed as such, would be handy if he could retain the ability to play both sides though. Not unusual for Tigers to get developing props to play both sides and then specialise, they did that with Castro and are doing it with Mulipola.

This is probably central to why Tigers produce such good props. If you truly understand what your oppo is trying to do you can counter it far better. In particular I feel far too many LH lack technical ability.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:LCD (nice) is some talent, I'm not sure I'd be messing around with his development. He looks a class act already at LH.

Sarge, I tend to agree with you, not sure I really get this conversion to hooker malarkey? LCD is a good scrummager, a fine lifter and v dynamic around the park, and on top of that his older brother Tom is a pretty decent hooker already. My understanding is that Exe have been instructed by the England management to try it out and see how it goes - personally I'd leave him where he is

The sheer size of some of these England U20 forwards is staggering. Sinckler, Stooke and Sisi are monsters! Howard's a pretty big lad for a winger as well.

Big task for the Scotland boys here. Looks very much like an old fashioned Scotland vs England contest from the 90's. Big England pack trying to (and nearly always succeeding) dominate the lighter pack and hog all the possession. The lighter Scotland pack trying to move the ball around and keep it in play as much as possible.

Shifting Bennett to 12 is interesting. I'd always seen him as more of a wing-style outside centre. I suspect they want to get him on the ball as much as possible, as he ought now to be the star of the show at this level. I just hope he gets enough quality ball.

Difficult conditions, doesn't look like it is going to be a pretty one this.

any link ?

Check your inbox.

Jeez, that's the third chance England have blown!

Finally!

Thanks got it. This ref is about as bad as u get

There have been some really good pieces of play and I reckon on a less heavy pitch a couple of the breaks would have been finished off. It's not been bad display considering the strong wind they are playing into. Looking forward to seeing what they can do with the wind at their backs.

Half time, England 7-6 up

would anyone care to send me a link? Cheers!

Cheers Cumbrian!

That pitch looks atrocious!

Lineout isn't doing England any favours, can't get any momentum from it.

impressive play by scotland- holding there own..

pitch does look horrid mind!

Improper pushing? Not sure what that is all about.

Frak hooker! He has barely hit his man in this half.

Scotland are looking fair good under the high ball like! and some decent speed by the Sinclair lad to run back for the chip and chase!

That looked like it missed to me to be fair...

this is a farce. that was not over absolutely no way !

impossible to tell with them camera shots- the only two that could tell was the two that flagged straight away..

the officials are from continental Europe.

Slade looks a classy player.

Cumbrian wrote:Slade looks a classy player.

Your full-back's pretty good too

eng full back looks like a def intl of future.

Aye, he needs to get himself on the ball a bit more in this half.

alive555 wrote:the officials are from continental Europe.

really!!!

u couldn't make it up. player yellowed for absolutely zip.

Ah raspberries. Hope he isn't too broken.

Lineouts.

Great carrying from Cowan-Dickie, he has looked very strong in this game.

You can see what England are trying to do, combine power with a close offload game, if they execute it better than today it should be very hard to stop.

So final score 15-6 to England. A lot better from Scotland u20 compared to least years 59-3 defeat at home,

Looks like England were missing Price in the lineout. Good combinations coming together in the backline though the injury to Watson will be a concern as will Slade's kicking from hand as that was pretty aimless.

I don't remember seeing too much aimless kicking Sam, I thought Slade had a fairly good game in pretty difficult conditions, in fact he won man of the match!

I was being picky to be honest. He kicked well at the posts and attacked flat with pace ball in hand. Just felt his inability to find touch reliably made it easier for Scotland to make metres as they had a very well drilled kick chase that saw them reclaim high balls in the second half. Kick loose and long in better conditions and we may have problems though in better conditions he should find it easier kicking from hand. Another option would be to bring Watson into the line and use him to kick as he did so rather well tonight.

Well done on the win England. It seems Scotland have a decent team this year. Any quick reviews so a Welsh fan knows what to expect in the coming weeks?