If the double doesn’t materialise, though, he doesn’t want people judging the RFU’s pathway programme based on a single result in South Africa versus an opposition gunning to collect its fourth U20 Championship title in a row.
Mark Mapletoft’s side demonstrated their ability to squeeze teams in that last four success, holding the Irish scoreless in the second half to win 31-20 after leading 22-20 at the interval.
The reigning age-grade Six Nations champions completed their Pool C campaign with a gruelling 17-12 win over South Africa last Tuesday at Athlone.
The English were impressive 40-21 comeback winners over Argentina on opening day at the Championship last Saturday and coach Mark Mapletoft has decided to rotate his team for their second outing with skipper Finn Carnduff, Ollie Allan and Oli Spencer the three repeat picks.
The Irish closed out a hard-fought five-try, 36-0 win over Scotland in Cork, their last three tries coming in the closing 10 minutes, and it left England needing to beat world champions France in Pau to take the glory.
The English were denied a shot at the Grand Slam by Ireland’s last-gasp, game-levelling converted try at The Rec last Friday.
The English looked to have won it late on, Ben Waghorn seeing his 77th-minute try brilliantly converted from the touchline by Sean Kerr for a seven-point advantage.
The plan four months out from his 19th birthday was to get used to academy life at Newcastle under new boss Alex Codling, not to head across the Channel and muck in with Steve Borthwick and co ahead of their tournament opener versus Argentina.
Mark Mapletoft and Andy Titterrell have made four changes to the England U20 starting XV that narrowly lost to Bath United last week to take on Oxford University in their final match before the U20 Six Nations.
Harlequins have confirmed a 68-man senior squad - consisting of 43 senior players and bolstered by 25 from the club’s senior academy - for the upcoming 2022/23 season.