England U20 name side for Six Nations decider

Posted on Mar 14, 2013 in England U20

England Under 20 play Wales on Friday night in a match Head Coach Rob Hunter has described as a “big one”.

The game kicks off at 7.35pm at Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay, live on S4C (Sky channel 134).

Wales are unbeaten in this season’s Under 20 Six Nations campaign while England have lost once but have the greater points difference, meaning Friday’s clash in north Wales is winner takes all.

Title holders England have brought wing Anthony Watson, prop Kyle Sinckler and hooker Nathan Morris into the starting XV and Hunter is looking forward to the match.

He said: “It’ll be a tough game, but a big game in front of a sold out crowd. Wales have performed very well in this competition and they’ve been quite consistent with their selection – we’ll approach this one as we would any other, we want a good performance from the guys.”

Friday will be Hunter’s final match at the helm of the Under 20s before he moves to Exeter Chiefs, he has won 19 of his 24 matches in charge, but says that he can’t afford to think about this one being his last just yet: “It hasn’t really crossed my mind to be honest, the focus is on Friday night.”

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Vunipola named in the England Saxons squad

Posted on Jan 10, 2013 in England Saxons

London Wasps back row Billy Vunipola was today named in the England Saxons squad, below is a brief profile of the 20-year-old:

Tries in successive matches against Italy and Wales from Viliami ‘Billy’ Vunipola helped England U18 to extend their victorious run to 19 international matches before the 23-17 defeat by hosts South Africa in the Four Team Tournament in July 2010. He was vice captain to Chris Walker on the tour and appeared in all three games.

Sydney-born Billy was brought into the England U20 squad on May 9 for the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa as a replacement for Matt Kvesic, who had undergone surgery on a shoulder injury. Billy went on to play in four matches in the tournament and is part of a distinguished Tongan rugby dynasty, his brother Mako being a former member of the England U20 squad.

Their father Fe’ao, a hooker won 32 caps for his country, figured in the 1995 and 1999 World Cups and played for Pontypool. He was head coach at Marlow, a South West One East club, before deciding to return home at the end of the past season.

Six of Billy’s uncles and his grandfather represented Tonga. The two brothers previously played alongside each other in the England U18 team and their careers have progressed from there.  

Billy, like Mako, qualifies for England through residency and his favourite ground is Twickenham.. He said: “The atmosphere is crazy.” His maiden try for London Wasps was on his debut against Leeds Carnegie in April 2011 and he added a second against Saracens last February.

Educated at the Castle School, Bristol, he went on to Harrow to study Photography, Design Technology, Physical Education and Business with aspirations of becoming a world renowned photographer.

He played for Bristol in 2007-08 and has benefited from the England Under 18 coaching team of John Fletcher and Peter Walton.

Billy added: “Both have shown great belief and brought me through even though I thought I was just average. The players I most admire are those who are humble and hard working such as George Ford, our captain two years ago”

U20 International Record

2012 World Championship It, SA, I(R), A(R)

Young English prop duo extend deals at London Wasps

Posted on Jan 3, 2013 in London Wasps

Simon McIntyre and Alec Hepburn have extended their contracts at London Wasps, with the two young props eyeing exciting futures in the Black and Gold shirt.

McIntyre (21) and Hepburn (19) are two of the Club’s brightest young front row prospects.

McIntyre has already made a strong impact since joining London Wasps in the summer of 2011 having made 25 senior appearances to date. Having made the switch from tight to loose-head over the past year, the youngster is making impressive in-roads into Dai Young’s match-day squad, also showing his eye for the try-line with two well taken scores this season.

Hepburn, a current London Wasps Academy player, appeared in all ten games for the England U20 squad in 2011, spanning the RBS 6 Nations Championship and the Junior World Championship in South Africa. Though currently sitting out with an injury, the young loose-head, who will be a senior squad member next season, is eagerly awaiting his debut at competitive level for London Wasps after featuring a number of times in the Aviva A League.

Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “We’ve got a number of good front-row prospects at the Club and our challenge is to nurture these players through into our senior squad. Simon has already proved himself to be a very talented player for us and he’s making excellent progress, while Alec is a young player who is highly rated and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do when he’s back from injury.”

Plymouth to host England U20 curtain raiser

Posted on Oct 7, 2012 in England U20

England Under 20 will kick off the defence of their Six Nations trophy against Scotland on Friday, February 1 at Plymouth Albion’s Brickfields Stadium, a game Head Coach Rob Hunter has called a “great opportunity”.

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports and Sky Sports HD, kick off 5.45pm, and will be the first of three Under 20 matches to be hosted around the country, the other two venues are still to be confirmed.

England won both the 2011 and 2012 tournaments and will be aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive title, kicking off with a repeat of last year’s opening fixture. Scotland went down 59-3 against a strong England side last season but Hunter says that his squad won’t be thinking back to 12 months ago.

“It’s a new season and a new group of players,” he said. “Scotland squads are always well organised coming into the championship and we’ll treat them with the respect they deserve. The competition gets tougher every year. It’s great to be able to have the game in Plymouth, a fair chunk of our squad come from the south west so it’s fantastic for those guys, rugby supporters are passionate down there and it’s a great opportunity for us to play in front them”

With a dual registration agreement in place between Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion for the 2012/13 season, fly half Henry Slade, prop Luke Cowan-Dickie and wing Jack Arnott are current regulars in the Albion first team and are excited to play at their adopted home.

Slade said: “It’s great for us to have such a prestigious game down here in Plymouth, it will make us feel right at home playing in front of such a receptive crowd.  It will be so much easier for our friends and family to be here to support us and there could be five players from Devon if the guys currently on loan at Pirates [Jack Nowell and Sam Hill] are also selected.”

Cowan-Dickie added: “It’s awesome, it’s a massive honour to play at a local club. Living in the south west usually means a great deal of travel when we are involved in internationals so this time it’s much more likely we’ll have family and friends here to watch.  That’s great as it’s always special playing for the Under 20s.”

Plymouth’s Acting CEO Debbie Fisher said: “To be successful in our bid to host one of next year’s U20’s Internationals is fantastic news for Plymouth Albion and the local community. The game will be a huge boost for professional rugby in the region and will have the added attraction of several local players appearing for their country in their own county.”

Dr Graham Stirling, Chairman of Albion agreed, and added: "We are delighted for all rugby followers in our region to have successfully bid for this prestigious England U20′s international game against Scotland. It makes it all the more interesting having Slade, Cowan-Dickie and Arnott, our Exeter Chiefs dual registered players in the squad plus Hill and Nowell who are dual registered with the Cornish Pirates. It has all the makings of a fantastic evening at the start of the Six Nations Championship"

Ticket prices for Ground entry to the match will be competitive at £12 for Adult entry with concessions for Seniors, Students and Under 18’s at £9.  Children under 12 will have free entry to the Ground.  A separate pricing structure will be published for entry to the seated Grandstand and Covered Redrow stand.

ENGLAND RUGBY NEWS: England name Under 20 EPS for 2012/13

Posted on Sep 3, 2012 in England U20

England have named an Under 20 Elite Player Squad containing an exciting blend of “experience, skill and power” for the 2012/13 season.

The 32-man group will look to defend the Under 20 Six Nations title in the New Year before heading to France for the IRB Junior World Championship next June.

Head Coach Rob Hunter, assisted by Nick Walshe, has called on 15 players previously capped at this level while five of the squad represented England at Under 18 level last season.

Hunter said: “We’re excited to work with the players in our squad. We have some guys back who played for us last season and five who played at Under 18 level last campaign.

“There are also a number of players who have shown up well for their clubs in pre-season. There is always huge competition at this age grade and a lot of players getting first team rugby at their clubs, it’s tough to narrow that down and we expect players to continue to push for inclusion.  It’s an exciting, skilful and powerful group. Competition for places will be high, but that’s just what you want.”

England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster added: “The England Under 20 squad is once again a strong one and the amount of competition for places in each position reflects well on the work the regional academies at the clubs are doing.

“A lot of the players in this squad have come through our age group international programme and that goes to show how well the development pathway is working with players progressing through from the 18s into the Under 20s and then hopefully pushing for places in the Senior and Saxons Elite Player Squads."

Since the formation of the England U20 side in 2007 – replacing the England U21 team – they have an impressive five-year record. In the 50 matches played the squad have won 39 and lost just eleven, a win percentage of 78 per cent. The U20s have won three Six Nations Grand Slams, (2008, 2011 and 2012) and have been runners up in the Junior World Championship on three occasions.

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