Posolo Tuilagi returns to France U20 XV to face title-chasing England

Perpignan lock Posolo Tuilagi has dropped down from the French senior set-up to start for France U20 against England U20 in the final round of the Six Nations on Friday.

The 19-year-old will replace Corentin Mezou in the second row, who came off in the first half of France’s 45-12 win over Wales last weekend.

England will arrive at Pau’s Stade du Hameau at the top of the Six Nations table- a solitary point ahead of Ireland after their 32-32 draw last weekend. However, they will surely need a win if they hope to be crowned champions, and France have named a team that will do everything to stop that.

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Tuilagi spent the first half of the Championship playing for the senior team, earning three caps under Fabien Galthie in the first three rounds, starting the 13-13 draw with Italy. With the return of Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou from injury for the Wales match last weekend, Tuilagi dropped out of the squad, but he has now returned to the U20s set-up who he has had so much success with.

Ahead of the match, France captain Leo Carbonneau said: “ When you are French there is always a certain rivalry with the England team, even more so when you have been involved in rugby, in the Six Nations since childhood.

U20 Six Nations

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

England U20

4

3

0

1

18

2

Ireland U20

4

3

0

1

17

3

France U20

4

2

2

0

13

4

Italy U20

4

2

2

0

10

5

Wales U20

4

1

3

0

5

6

Scotland U20

4

0

4

0

1

“Historically it is an important confrontation, the match is called “the Crunch”, there is symbolism around this match. Afterwards, colloquially speaking, there is a little video where there is a tackle of my father, I hope not to do the same this weekend.

“Now it’s going to be a lot of weeks of suspension. In short, it’s up to us to have a big match, and what’s more, in a Hameau announced to be sold out .”

FRANCE: Ferté – Attissogbe, L. Darricarrère, Gourgues, Bollengier – Reus, L. Carbonneau (cap.) – Gazzotti, Quere Karaba, Castro-Ferreira – Tuilagi, Descube – Affane, Massa, Julien.
Substitutes: Couly, Aouad, Duchêne, Huchet, Si. Tolofua, Malaterre, Souverbie, Biasotto.

ENGLAND: Jones – Cousins, Waghorn, Kerr, Redshaw – Makepeace-Cubitt, McParland – Michelow, Pollock, Carnduff (cap) – Kpoku, Bailey – Sela, Isaac, Opoku-Fordjour
Substitutes: Oliver, Kirk, Halliwell, Sodeke, James, Douglas, Bellamy, Spencer