PREVIEW: U18 Six Nations Festival set for kick-off

The big kick-off at Ystrad Mynach today will see Wales face up to a mighty challenge from France, while the young Scots will be seeking to repeat the sensational result pulled off by their seniors against England. The final game sees Irish Schools tackle Italy.
 

The players are all Under 18 on 1 January, 2018, which means a large number of the players that played in the pre-tournament matches between a number of the nations are ineligible. Wales, for instance, were beaten 42-14 by England at Sardis Road last weekend and Iestyn Rees’ side to face the French have only 10 members of last that squad available today.

“We couldn’t ask for a bigger and more exciting challenge than France first up, and it’s definitely a fixture that will catch the interest of fans. These players are at the start of their rugby careers, so how they perform and react over the coming week or so will be crucial to their development in this sport,” said Wales head coach, Chris Horsman.

The French have picked two squads to play internationals during this period and it is their top team that has headed to Wales. They will come into the Festival as the standard bearers having already seen many lf last year’s Under 18s graduate into an Under 20 side that scooped the Six Nations title with victory over Wales in Colwyn Bay.

“We have prepared well for this Festival with victories over Ireland and England in our preparation matches. It is the beginning of a story for these players, who have been labelled ‘Generation 2023’. It is up to them to build their French international history as individuals and as a team,” said France Under 18 coach, Sébastien Calvet.

“The Festival will give them the chance to calibrate where they are against the best in Europe in their age group. This is a great challenge for them with the first lot what could be many international meetings over the years. “

MATCH 2: WALES U18 v FRANCE U18
Wales U18: Harri Doel (Coleg Sir Gar / Scarlets Academy / Scarlets); Louis Rees-Zammit (Hartpury College / Gloucester Academy / Exiles), Osian Knott (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Quins / Scarlets), Aneurin Owen (Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw / NHSOB / Dragons), Frankie Jones (Neath Port Talbot College /Cwmafan / Ospreys); Evan Lloyd (Coleg Gwent / Dragons Academy / Dragons), Dafydd Buckland (Newport HS / Rhymney / Dragons); Will Sanderson (Coleg Llandrillo / Wrexham / RGC), Will Griffiths (Coleg Gwent / Cross Keys / Dragons), Luke Yendle (Newport HS / Senghenydd / Dragons), Ben Carter (Newport HS / Caldicot / Dragons),Teddy Williams (Ysgol Glantaf / Cardiff Harlequins / Cardiff Blues), Rob Brookson (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United / Dragons), Jac Morgan (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Athletic / Scarlets), Carwyn Tuipulotu (Sedbergh School / Exiles)
Reps: Cameron Lewis (Coleg Sir Gar / Swansea Uplands / Ospreys), Callum Williams (Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth / Tumble / Scarlets), Archie Griffin (Marlborough College / Exiles), Jac Price (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Quins / Scarlets), Olly White (Llandovery College / Llandovery / RGC), Ellis Bevan (Bryanston / Ampthill / Exiles), Sam Costelow (Oakham School / Leicester Tigers / Exiles), Joe Roberts (Coleg Sir Gar / Burry Port / Scarlets), Ioan Davies (Coleg y Cymoedd / Merthyr / Cardiff Blues), Josh Thomas (Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr / Pontarddulais / Ospreys)
Ioan Lloyd (Clifton College / Exiles)

France U18: Remi Brosset (Agen); Erwan Dridi (Toulon), Maxime Espeut (Beziers), Yoram Falatea Moefana (Colomiers), Romain Fusier (Grenoble); Thomas Dolhagaray (Bayonne), Hugo Zabalza (Bayonne); Eli Eglaine (Grenoble), Pierre Jutge (Colomiers), Regis Montagne (Grenoble), Adrien Warion (Provence), Florent Vanverberghe (Toulon), Thibault Hamonou (Toulouse), Yan Peysson (Colomiers), Jordan Joseph (Massy)
Reps: Theo Lachaud (Toulon), Enzo Baggiani (Tarbes), Gauthier Maravat (Agen), Wael May (Toulon),  Kevin Viallard (Brive), Theo Costosseque (Bayonne), Malcom Bertschy (La Rochelle), Hugo Ndiaye (Provence)

MATCH 1: SCOTLAND U18 V ENGLAND U18 (12 NOON)
England U18s have played three games this season, losing to France (27-5) before sealing victories against Scotland (64-0) and Wales (42-14). There are nine changes to the side that defeated Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium.

Alfie Barbeary will captain the side, with Bevan Rodd and Samson Ma’asi named as co-captains. Of the 25 players named in the matchday squad, Ben Donnell, George Barton, Henri Lavin and Callum Pacoe are the only uncapped players at this level.

“We want the players to express themselves both sides of the ball, to try things and also to enjoy the experience. Everybody is excited as it’s our first game of the festival and the experiences the players get over the course of the three matches will be helpful to their development for their future,” said England head coach, John Fletcher.

“The purpose of the Six Nations Festival is to provide the players with an elevated experience from their schools and academies and to put them into a different environment against different players. We will play against the best players from the Six Nations countries and the players will learn loads from that experience.

“It also gives the squad an opportunity to play the way that we feel will best prepare them for the England teams of the future.”

Scotland U18: Charlie Hudson (St Peter’s, York); Rufus McLean (Merchiston Castle School), Scott Robeson (George Heriot’s School), Robbie McCallum (Loretto School), Jack Blain (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewarts Melville RFC); Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol / SGS College), Jamie Dobie (Merchiston Castle School); Thomas Jeffrey (Peebles), Rory Jackson (Edinburgh Academy), Dan Gamble (Kelso / Merchiston Castle School), Tom Morris (Dollar Academy), Cameron Henderson (Strathallan School), Jack Hill (Sedbergh School), Connor Boyle (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewart’s Meville RFC, captain), Rory Darge (Borders College / Melrose)
Reps: Scott Clelland (Ayr), Mak Wilson (Duns), Alex Pleasants (The Henley College / Wasps), Archie Smeaton (Yorkshire Carnegie / Hymers College), Gavin Wilson (Dumfries Saints), Kristian Kay (Stowe School / Wasps), Dan Lancaster (Yorkshire Carnegie / Bishop Burton College), Matthew Currie (Merchiston Castle School)

England U18: Reece Dunn (Gloucester Rugby / St Peter’s HS); Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints / Northampton School for Boys), Will  Simonds (Wasps / Henley College), Jack  Reeves ( Gloucester / Hartpury College), Jacob  Morris (Gloucester / Hartpury College); Manu Vunipola ( Saracens / Harrow School), Blake Boyland (Bristol / SGS College); Bevan  Rodd (Sale Sharks / Sedbergh School), Alfie  Barbeary  (Wasps / Bloxham School), Jack Bartlett (Gloucester), George Martin (Leicester Tigers / Brooksby Melton College), Ben Donnell London Irish / Peter Symonds College), JJ Tonks (Gloucester / Hartpury College), Ted Leatherbarrow (Sale Sharks  Kirkham GS), Rob Farrar (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School)
Reps: Samson Ma’asi (Northampton Saints / St Joseph’s), Lewis Holsey (Worcester Warriors / Solihull School), Cal Ford (Sale Sharks / Sandbach School), Will Montgomery (Newcastle Falcons / Kirkbie Kendal School), Rus Tuima (Exeter Chiefs / Exeter College), Henri Lavin (Leicester Tigers / Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth College), Callum Pascoe (Newcastle Falcons / Gosforth Academy),Josh  Hodge (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School), Harry  Barlow (Harlequins / Cranleigh School), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks / Kirkham GS)

MATCH 3: IRELAND SCHOOLS U18 v ITALY U18
The Irish have made three changes to the side that lost 39-20 to France Under 18 last weekend in Dublin, bringing in two Schools Cup winners to bolster the team to face Italy.

Prop Thomas Clarkson, who won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with Blackrock College last week, comes in at tight head prop alongside Ireland captain John McKee, who enjoyed Schools Cup success with his own Campbell College. Belfast Royal Academy hooker Tom Stewart is also introduced to the front row.

Cian Hurley from CBC Cork joins St. Augustine’s, Dungarvan lock Tom Ahern, one of Ireland’s best performers against the French, in the second row, while the introduction of RBAI’s David McCann at No 8 sees PBC Cork’s Alex Kendellen – the scorer of Ireland’s two tries against France – switch to blindside flanker.

Clarkson’s Blackrock team-mate, lock Sean O’Brien, has been added to the Irish bench along with Newbridge College captain Cian Prendergast, who skippered the Ireland U-18 Clubs & Schools side to a 56-17 victory over Canada U-19s last weekend.

Ireland U18  Schools: Max O’Reilly (St. Gerard’s School); Andrew Smith (St. Michael’s College) , Karl Martin (St. Mary’s School, Drogheda), Angus Adair (RBAI), Aaron Sexton (Bangor GS); Paddy McKenzie (East Glendalough School), Nathan Doak (Wallace HS); John McKee (Campbell College, captain), Tom Stewart (Belfast Royal Academy), Tom Clarkson (Blackrock College), Cian Hurley (CBC Cork), Tom Ahern (St. Augustine’s, Dungarvan), Alex Kendellen (PBC Cork), Ryan O’Neill (RS Armagh), David McCann (RBAI)
Reps: Padraig McCarthy (Colaiste Pobail Bheanntrai), Connor Morrissey (Mayfield CS), Charlie Ward (Tullow Community School), Sean O’Brien (Blackrock College), Conor McMenamin (Colaiste Ailigh), Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College), Anthony Ryan (Clongowes Wood College), Ben Murphy (Presentation College Bray), Dylan Prendergast (Sancta Maria College), Ben Power (Campbell College), Chris Cosgrave (St. Michael’s College)

Italy U18: Michele Peruzzo (Valsugana Padova); Edoardo Mastandrea (Valsugana Rugby), Michael Mba (Rugby Casale), Matteo Moscardi (FEMI-CZ Rovigo, captain), Albert Batista (Rugby Etruschi Livorno);  Paolo Garbisi (Mogliano Rugby), Ratko Jelic (Lions Amaranto); Matteo Drudi (UR Capitolina), Gianmarco Lucchesi (Lions Amaranto), Giacomo Florio (Fiamme Oro Rugby), Andrea Zambonin (Rangers Vicenza), Leon Lawrence (Cavalieri Union Prato Sesto), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Treviso), Davide Goldin (Petrarca Padova), Andrea Faccenna (UR Capitolina)
Reps: Tomas Rosario (Benetton Treviso), Lorenzo Michelini (Biella Rugby), Filippo Alongi (Benetton Treviso), Paolo Steolo (Lafert San Donà), Pietro Marzocchi (Conad Reggio), Luca Borin (FEMI-CZ Rovigo), Matteo Petrozzi (Saracens Academy), Jona Motta (Rugby Milano), Lorenzo Romano (Pro Recco Rugby), Angelo Maurizi (L’Aquila Rugby), Nicolo Quaglia (Rugby Rovato)