England U18 look to continue long winning streak (From Surrey Comet)

England U18 look to continue long winning streak

10:08am Tuesday 20th July 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Whitgift School pair Elliot Daly and George Merrick are in the England U18 starting line-up to face France in South Africa today (5pm).

Merrick is one of three Harlequins teenagers in the team with Charlie Walker and Kyle Sinckler also in the 15.

Anthony Watson of St George’s College, Weybridge, is among the replacements.

England have won their last 18 internationals at this level and will be aiming to emulate their 33-16 win over France at Newbury in February.

They opened their three-match tour of South Africa with a 35-10 win against a Namibia Invitation XV in East London last Friday and head coach John Fletcher has made 10 changes to the starting side for France.

The changes include lock George Merrick (Whitgift and Harlequins) and wing Mark Jennings (Lymm HS & Sale Sharks) making their first appearances of the trip, a new front row and a positional switch with Joel Hodgson (RGS Newcastle & Newcastle Falcons) moving from scrum half to fly half with Dan Robson (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby) alongside him.

England U18 15 Ben Ransom (Tonbridge & Saracens) 14 Mark Jennings (Lymm HS & Sale Sharks) 13 Elliot Daly (Whitgift & London Wasps) 12 Tommy Bell (Bacup and Rawtenstall GS & Sale Sharks) 11 Charlie Walker (Oakham & Harlequins) 10 Joel Hodgson (RGS Newcastle & Newcastle Falcons) 9 Dan Robson (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby) 1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs) 2 Nathan Moris (Sedbergh & Newcastle Falcons) 3 Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins) 4 George Merrick (Whitgift School & Harlequins) 5 Tom Jubb (Oaklands College & Saracens) 6 Will Skuse (Bryanston & Bath Rugby) 7 Chris Walker (Prince Henry's GS, Otley & Leeds Carnegie, captain) 8 Billy Vunipola (Harrow & London Wasps, vice captain) Replacements 16 Koree Britton (Ivybridge College & Gloucester Rugby) 17 Nick Auterac (Oaklands College & Saracens) 18 Anthony Brennan (Twyford CofE & London Wasps) 19 Will Spencer (St Paul's Catholic & Bath Rugby) 20 Sam Northcote-Green (Dulwich College & London Wasps) 21 Henry Slade (Plymouth College & Exeter Chiefs) 22 Sam Hill (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs) 23 Anthony Watson (St George's College, Weybridge & London Irish) 24 Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry's GS, Otley & Leeds Carnegie)