March 31st, 2008

England Under 18s Coach Alex Sanderson has made five changes to the team that will start tomorrow’s (Tuesday) final Six Nations Festival game against Scotland at Musgrave Park RFC in Cork, kick off 230pm.

England head into the final fixture of the tournament with three wins from three outings under their belts this season and will be hoping to end the term with another victory.

There is a call up for Epsom College & Harlequins flanker Joe Trayfoot who comes in, in the backrow. John Cleveland College & Leicester Tigers’ Sam Harrison starts at scrum half and Wyggeston & QE1 College Leicester Tigers player Tom Homer comes in, in the centre with captain Tom Casson moving to 13. Cranleigh & Harlequins Sam Smith is also given the nod at number 14.

Coach Sanderson said: “We are now at the final hurdle and we are on track to achieve our goal this season which is to win every game. We have made three changes to the starting line-up with a further two positional changes and I am very happy with this line-up. They are certainly a strong side to take on Scotland.

“Scotland are certainly on a high at the moment. They have a real momentum going and they are enjoying their success. I know there is real optimism in their camp at the moment so this is going to be a really big challenge for us. 

“They are also a fit squad who are very physical but we are also keen to end this season with another win. The lads and the management team are all eager to finish this tournament with a clean sheet and now really it is about finishing off the job and getting that cherry on the cake. We have already achieved a lot this season but there is one final goal to achieve.”

England Under 18s

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

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 WON 78-8
England Under 18s v France, March 29th, Cork Institute of Technology, KO 230pm, WON 18-0
England Under 18s v Scotland, April 1st, Musgrave Park Cork, KO 230pm
 
Ends…