March 25th, 2008

The England Under 18s team to face Italy tomorrow (Wednesday) in the opening game of the 2008 Six Nations Festival has today been announced.

The England young guns, who will play Italy at Temple Hill RFC in Cork, kick-off 5pm, will be led by Sedbergh and Sale Sharks centre Tom Casson.

England Under 18s go into the game on the back of a 25-15 defeat of Wales on March 2nd at Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium.  They will also face France and Scotland over the coming week.

England Coach Alex Sanderson said: “This is our first game of the tournament and it’s really important we make a good start. We have come here with the mind set and goal to win every game but at the moment all our focus is on playing Italy.

“We know a little about our opponents. They were recently beaten by France but they ran them close. We know that they have a big, physical pack and we expect them to be as passionate as every Italian team. I would like to think though that in the latter stages of the game we will be able to better them in terms of physicality and individual skills.

“We arrived here on Monday and all the lads have settled in well. Spirits are high and we are feeling confident. The players are certainly chomping at the bit to get the tournament under way.”

England Under 18s Six Nations Festival team
 

1 Lee Imiolek (Myerscough College & Sale Sharks)
2 David Blackwell (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby)
3 James Currie (Millfield & Bath Rugby)
4 Joe Quinn (St Wilfred's School & Leeds Carnegie)
5 James Gaskell (Sandbach & Sale Sharks)
6 Jacob Rowan (Bradford GS & Leeds Carnegie)
7 Joe Barker (QEGS Wakefield & Leeds Carnegie)
8 Rob Milligan (Rugby School & Northampton Saints)
9 Sam Harrison (John Cleveland College & Leicester Tigers)
10 Freddie Burns (Bath College & Bath Rugby)
11 Sam Smith (Cranleigh & Harlequins)
12 Tom Homer (Milton Abbey & London Irish)
13 Tom Casson (Sedbergh & Sale Sharks) C
14        Christian Wade (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps)
15      Jack Wallace (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps)
Replacements:
16      Joe Marler (Richmond College & Harlequins)
17      Jamie George (Haileybury & Saracens)
18      Mako Vunipola (Millfield & Bristol Rugby)
19      Tom Holmes (Sandbach & Sale Sharks)
20      Joe Trayfoot (Epsom College & Harlequins)
21      Alex Gray (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons)
22      Jordi Pasqualin (The King’s School Gloucs & Gloucester Rugby)
23      Rory Clegg (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons)
24      Will Hurrell (Wyggeston & QE1 Coll Leicester Tigers)
25      Andy Forsyth (QEGS Wakefield & Leicester Tigers)
26      Tom Catterick (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons)

England Under 18s Six Nations Festival Fixtures

England Under 18s v Wales, March 2nd, Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium, WON 25-15
England Under 18s v Italy, March 26th, Temple Hill Cork, KO 5pm
England Under 18s v France, March 29th, Cork Institute of Technology, KO 230pm,
England Under 18s v Scotland, April 1st, Musgrave Park Cork, KO 230pm
 
Ends…