The tactic has paid off handsomely so far. Last year’s Six Nations title-winning campaign by Mark Mapletoft’s U20s was beyond him… he remembers watching at home on the BBC as they sealed glory away to France in Pau last March.
Three points clear of France at the top of the table, Mark Mapletoft’s squad are on the cusp of age-grade Grand Slam glory for the first time since 2021.
An immediate upside, though, to the three-game suspension given to the 124kg, 204cm giant following his January 30 tackling misdemeanour away to Ireland in Cork was a sudden invite from Steve Borthwick to attend first-team training.
Racing 92 flanker Junior Kpoku has been restored to the England U20 starting line-up for their U20 Six Nations encounter with Scotland in Newcastle on Friday.
England U20 head coach Mark Mapletoft has backed his ‘closer’ Lucas Friday to make an impact from the off as he makes his first start at this level against France on Friday.
England U20 head coach Mark Mapletoft has made two changes to his side for the second-round meeting with France in Bath on Friday.
England U20 flanker Junior Kpoku will miss Friday night’s encounter with France in Bath having been banned for three matches.
It was at the start of January when the former Newcastle Falcons boss was added to the English age-grade management ticket and he has reportedly settled in well ahead of Thursday night’s Six Nations opener away to Ireland in Cork.
Ahead of facing the Irish in the U20s opener, the son of ex-Dragons centre Sione and younger brother of Wales women’s international Sisilia has tackled the RugbyPass Getting to Know Q&A.
Northampton Saints flanker Henry Pollock is set to start for England U20 on Thursday against Ireland U20 at Cork's Virgin Media Park in the first match of their U20 Six Nations title defence.
Strapping back-row forward Reuben Logan has been called up by Scotland U20s for the forthcoming U20 Six Nations campaign, just months after he was a member of the England U20 wider training group.
The defending age-grade Six Nations and World Rugby Championship holders have retained the still-underage Josh Bellamy, Jack Bracken, Ben Coen, Kane James and George Timmins while also appointing Dave Walder, the ex-Newcastle boss, as an assistant.
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.
It’s gone swimmingly for the youngster who only turned 19 in January, but he certainly isn’t the type to get carried away. Public self-criticism is something rugby players generally tend to shy away from.
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.
It was ahead of the round two match at home to Wales in Bath when Makepeace-Cubitt came in from the cold of English third-tier rugby to link up with an international squad made up of only Gallagher Premiership youngsters and the Racing 92-attached Junior Kpoku.
The Irish kept alive their hopes of securing a third successive Six Nations age-grade title by scoring a clock-in-the-red try to draw 32-all with title rivals England last Friday at The Rec.
The English were denied a shot at the Grand Slam by Ireland’s last-gasp, game-levelling converted try at The Rec last Friday.
Delayed due to the global pandemic, the 2021 U20 Six Nations took place in Cardiff over the last month and we have a review of all six teams.