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Seven capped players included in England A squad to play Australia A

198 days ago

BAGSHOT, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Fraser Dingwall of England runs with the ball during the England Training Session at Pennyhill Park on March 11, 2024 in Bagshot, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Northampton Saints centre Fraser Dingwall has been named England A captain as a 24-player squad was selected to take on Australia A at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday, November 17.

Dingwall is one of seven capped players included, alongside club-mates Curtis Langdon and Tom Pearson, Leicester Tigers prop Joe Heyes, Bath flanker Ted Hill, Sale winger Tom Roebuck and Saracens No.8 Tom Willis.

Five of those, Dingwall, Pearson, Hill, Roebuck and Willis spent time with Steve Borthwick’s senior squad ahead of the Autumn Nations Series but were not involved in the narrow defeat to New Zealand or this weekend’s meeting with Australia.

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Forwards Afolabi Fasogbon, Henry Pollock and Vilikesa Sela, meanwhile, have been included having been part of head coach Mark Mapletoft’s World Rugby U20 Championship winning side.

Scrum-half Archie McParland did not feature in South Africa but played for Mapletoft during the 2024 U20 Six Nations, which England also won.

In total, eight members of the matchday 23 that beat Portugal A 91-5 at Welford Road in February – the team’s first match for eight years – have been recalled for this month’s assignment.

Premiership Rugby Player of the Month Gabriel Ibitoye, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his fine form with a place in the squad.

The wider squad and matchday 23 for the Australia A match has been selected in consultation with Mapletoft and determined by Borthwick and RFU Executive Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O’Shea.

Mapletoft will be assisted by his U20 lieutenants Andy Titterrell and Nathan Catt while Bath’s Lee Blackett and Haydn Thomas of Exeter Chiefs will add their expertise to the coaching staff.

The squad will assemble at Hazlewood Centre next Tuesday, where they will be joined by selected players currently training with the senior squad.

Mapletoft said: “The coaching staff and I are incredibly excited to reveal this squad after extensive collaborative work and are looking forward to working with some familiar and new faces alike.

“Next week presents a platform for a selection of some of the best Premiership talent to express themselves further whilst representing their country, some of those being U20 players me and the pathway staff have worked with very recently. It bridges from the pathway and into senior contention through vital game time in an England jersey.

“An England A matchweek is a short turnaround; the key for us is to instill a chemistry through extensive preparation, knowledge sharing and a diligent team culture ahead of a very competitive opportunity in front of an energetic home support.”

See England’s brightest young talent when England A take on Australia A on Sunday, 17 November at Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop – KO 14:00 GMT. Tickets are available from only £25 for adults & £15 for U16 (+booking fees) here.

View the match live and free on RugbyPass TV (exc. UK & Australia).

England Men A wider squad (includes club and senior caps)

Forwards

Joe Batley (Bristol Bears)

Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)

Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)

Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)

Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)

Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints)

Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins)

Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)

Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)

Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby)

Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)

Backs

Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)

Oscar Beard (Harlequins)

Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks)

Fraser Dingwall (c) (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)

Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)

Cadan Murley (Harlequins)

Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)

Will Porter (Harlequins)

Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)

Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)

England Men A coaching staff for Australia A fixture

Mark Mapletoft – Head Coach

Andy Titterrell – Forwards Coach

Nathan Catt – Scrum Coach

Lee Blackett – Attack Coach

Haydn Thomas – Defence Coach

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Comments

6 Comments

CM 198 days ago

A number of these players should be in the England 1stXV but SB is myopic as usual, trained by EJ.

Bjs 198 days ago

Is Will Butt suspended for this fixture? We are short on 12s and he has shown up really well so far this season.

AJ 198 days ago

My thoughts exactly!

fl 198 days ago

1 Iyogun

2 Langdon

3 Heyes

4 Hill??? (why is there only 1 lock in the squad???)

5 Batley

6 Pearson

7 Pollock

8 T. Willis

9 Porter

10 Shillcock

11 Murley

12 Ojomoh

13 Dingwall

14 Roebuck

15 Carpenter

fl 198 days ago

actually - by the looks of it there's only one loosehead in the squad, so presumably Opoku-Fordjour will be parachuted in after training with the first team. Perhaps this also opens up the possibility for Ewels to be picked at 4, with Hill moving to 6?

Timmyboy 198 days ago

On premier sports instead of TNT just takes the p1ss.

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Comments on RugbyPass

Cantab 11 days ago

Teenager Braxton Sorensen-McGee reflects on dream Black Ferns debut

Although NZ won comfortably enough they weren’t always convincing and a better opposition may well have found them out. If our gun 7s players can translate their skills to the 15s game the team would have the ability to beat anyone. Need to be given the chance though.

4 Go to comments

James 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

And how do you see the Wallabies loosehead / Lion’s tighthead battle Nick?

37 Go to comments

dw 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Also interested in your thoughts on A Bell. Haven't noticed many scrum issues recently. He also seems to play 60 or so mins every game. A bit of a fan (even though he’s a tah..) but wondered if the Lions would target his scrummaging

37 Go to comments

dw 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

True. And you look at how the European coaches have got so much out of skelton and how much the local fans love him…and then some Oz fans will still say “he played poorly for the tahs I'm 2015!”

37 Go to comments

dw 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Thanks Nick but your headline has just jinxed us and reminded me of that night in 2013!

I love any analysis of the scrums such as the above. Cheers.

Allalatoa seems to be in good form and Nongorr appears to be able to hold his own? I think they will pick Tupou regardless of form. After Friday night I am concerned he could be sent off in the first five mins of the test though! He got too pumped up and hit a player high and was carded

37 Go to comments

RedWarriors 11 days ago

'Most complacent selection decision you will ever see': Barrett benching slammed as Leinster knocked out

I watched the mainstream NZ pundits eg Mils Muliaina and they DID back NZ to win almost to a man.

Ireland will talk their team up as anyone would with the caveats we are playing the ABs and match was de facto 50:50, That is not the same as dismissing the opposition. EG After the quarter John Kirwan said he was sorry France didn’t win versus SA becuase a ‘France-NZ final would be perfect. (The semis had not even been played yet, England and Argentina completely dismissed! He didn’t even realize his own arrogance) NZ are not even aware of the arrogance they exude. Has no Kiwi politely asked the national team to take down the ‘Superstars and Humble Heroes’ boasting on the AB site? Its cringeworthy stuff. Do NZ really see themselves like this?

Note all this BS about Irish arrogance started just after NZs defeat in the 2022 series. Not a coincidence.

Also: this is Irish national TV. We will talk our team up as everyone does. We care too much about judgemental and thin skinned Kiwis getting offended.

91 Go to comments

JM 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Aussie rugby fans are obsessed with players they hate, for whatever reason.

Michael Hooper is another one, and the hatred only increased whenever he won John Eales medals or the two times he was nominated world player of the year.

I reckon it is because our forwards are technically and mentally weak they put it all on one player who they think should make way for the messiah.

Same for the general team performance and the hate put on players like White, Lolesio, and Foley who should be pulling rabbits out of the hat every play.

I reckon, if we had of had 5 players with Hooper’s desire and drive spread across the team (and especiallythe forwards), we wouldn’t have woken up in the bottom of the ditch.

37 Go to comments

RedWarriors 11 days ago

'What he’s given to this club is nothing short of incredible'

He shouldn’t have been picked. Not physically able for the most intense matches notably in Twickenham last year. Giving him the captaincy was also a very short sighted decision then after RWC 2023. Ireland have a tendency to be a little too loyal, which can mean the team ages and the rebuild is bigger than should be.

Plenty of lads out there to fill that squad.

4 Go to comments

OJohn 11 days ago

Geoff Parling returns to Leicester as head coach

Hooray

0 Go to comments

Carlos 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

He was also a YC magnet.

37 Go to comments

Carlos 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Windsor-Faulkner-Price. 😊

37 Go to comments

Solenn Bonnet 11 days ago

Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

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0 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Ah, the Pooler front row ! Most legendary in the history of the , I would think. Max Boyce helped…”Here we. here we, here we go, with the Pontypool front row.”

37 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Would not go as far as whole house in our family, but for me, yes, W1. Loved playing in the scrum, love watching now😀

37 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Yes, I see that article here on RP, Nick. That is good news that Schmidt is going to look at the o’seas players.

Yes, I would think you are right that LAR will qualify. On the same points as MP, but surely they are too good not to win this crunch game….could be tEnse for ROG in the stands though.

37 Go to comments

BC 11 days ago

Who would make it into a Women's British and Irish Lions starting XV?

I would pick Oifa Wafer at 6, put Aldcroft in the second row with Ward. I think Wafer is one of the few non-England players mentioned that would contend for a Red Rose shirt, the others being King and possibly Neve Jones. Conversely there are two English players mentioned, Sing and Venner, that probably won’t even make the Red Rose WC squad, let alone a Lions Tour. Still a lot can change in two years, watch out for Millie David.

1 Go to comments

Otagoman II 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Great article NB, thanks. I would like to know what is the reasoning why so many things are penalties in the scrum. Is it to do with safety or something else?

37 Go to comments

NB 11 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

👍