Carwyn Tuipulotu is one of six Exiles in the Wales squad and he will have fellow Sedbergh pack members Jack Hill (Scotland) and Bevan Rodd and Rob Farrar (both England) joining him at the Festival, which kicks-off on Saturday, 30 March. Josh Hodge is also included among the England threequarters.
The Cumbrian school won the Daily Mail title by beating Millfield 53-12 in December and had 11 players battling for international honours. Skipper Cameron Redpath, son of former Scottish skipper Bryan, played for England Under 20 in the Six Nations U20 championship.
The England squad includes 10 of the players who beat Wales 42-14 at Sardis Road last weekend in the older age-group at Under 18 level – backs Blake Boyland, Reece Dunn, Jacob Morris, Jack Reeves and Ollie Sleightholme and forwards Jack Bartlett, George Martin, Bevan Rodd, JJ Tonks and Rus Tuima.
The giant, Fijian-born Exeter College and Exeter Chiefs No 8 Tuima caused Wales no end of difficulties last weekend and looks set to become one of the stars of the Festival. Weighing in at 19 stones, he has rugby in his blood.
His father represented his province in Fiji, his uncle is none other than Fiji skipper Akapusi Qera and another male relative, Joe Cokanasiga, plays on the wing for London Irish. Oh, and his elder sister, Lagi, has played for the senior England women’s team.
England head coach John Fletcher has already seen his players in action in three games this season, losing to France (27-5) before sealing victories against Scotland (64-0) and Wales (42-14). His 26-man squad will face Scotland, Italy and France.
“The point 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,” said Fletcher.
“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.
“We want our players to make decisions based on what is in front of them and express themselves both sides of the ball. There is the opportunity for all the players to get really good learning from the three games and it’s an opportunity for them to train with really good players in an England environment.”
Iain Monaghan has named a 26-man squad to travel to Wales this week for the Six Nations U18 Festival, which kicks off on Saturday.
Following a narrow defeat to Wales earlier this month and a behind-closed-doors game against England, the squad will compete in the inaugural Six Nations U18 Festival and have games against England, France and Ireland to look forward to over a 10-day period.
Scotland U18 head coach Iain Monaghan has included eight Exiles in his 26-man squad. He saw his team fall to a 32-30 defeat to Wales recently and kicks-off the campaign against England on Saturday.
“We’re looking forward to three tough games and we’ll be aiming to make further progress following matches against Wales and England earlier this month. It’s a great opportunity for our players to play against top level opposition away from home and for us to build on what we’ve been working on,” said Monaghan.
The French team warmed-up for their visit with a 39-20 triumph over the Irish Schools Under 18 team in Dublin last weekend. They also faced the Italians in February.
“It will certainly be a tough test because we will play every three days and it will not be easy to recover physically and mentally. But the Festival will be an excellent test for many players approaching the Under 20 World Cup next season,” said Italian coach Mattia Dolcetto.
“It is already a well-established event and it will be an important test for our players to evaluate their tactical and mental abilities, especially when we meet teams with a lot of international experience. We know that we have a competitive and good quality group that will be able to assert itself in every game.”
Scotland U18 Six Nations Festival Squad
Backs: Kristian Kay (Stowe School / Wasps), Jamie Dobie* (Merchiston Castle School), Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol / SGS College), Robbie McCallum* (Loretto School), Dan Lancaster (Yorkshire Carnegie / Bishop Burton College), Scott Robeson (George Heriot’s School), Paul Cunningham (George Watson’s College), Jack Blain* (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewarts Melville RFC), Matthew Currie (Merchiston Castle School), Rufus McLean (Merchiston Castle School), Charlie Hudson (St Peter’s, York), Femi Sofolarin (Dulwich College / Harlequins)
Forwards: Thomas Jeffrey * (Peebles), Mak Wilson * (Duns), Daniel Gamble * (Kelso / Merchiston Castle School), Alex Pleasants (The Henley College / Wasps), Rory Jackson (Edinburgh Academy), Scott Clelland* (Ayr), Cameron Henderson * (Strathallan School), Cameron Brown (Kelso), Jack Hill (Sedbergh School), Tom Morris (Dollar Academy), Archie Smeaton (Yorkshire Carnegie / Hymers College), Gavin Wilson* (Dumfries Saints), Connor Boyle* (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewart’s Meville RFC), Rory Darge* (Borders College / Melrose)
*BT Sport Academy Player Supported Player
England U18 Six Nations Festival Squad
Backs: Harry Barlow (Harlequins / Cranleigh School), George Barton (Gloucester Rugby / Dean Close School), Blake Boyland (Bristol Rugby / SGS College), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks / Kirkham Grammar School), Reece Dunn (Gloucester Rugby / St Peter’s High School), Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School), Jacob Morris (Gloucester Rugby / Hartpury College), Callum Pascoe (Newcastle Falcons / Gosforth Academy), Jack Reeves (Gloucester Rugby / Hartpury College), Will Simonds (Wasps / The Henley College), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints / Northampton School for Boys), Manu Vunipola (Saracens / Harrow)
Forwards: Alfie Barbeary (Wasps / Bloxham School), Jack Bartlett (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Donnell (London Irish / Peter Symonds College), Rob Farrar (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School), Cal Ford (Sale Sharks / Sandbach School), Lewis Holsey (Worcester Warriors / Solihull School), Henri Lavin (Leicester Tigers / Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth), Ted Leatherbarrow (Sale Sharks / Kirkham Grammar School), Samson Ma’asi (Northampton Saints / St Josephs), George Martin (Leicester Tigers / Brooksby Melton College), Will Montgomery (Newcastle Falcons / Kirkbie Kendal School), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks / Sedbergh School), JJ Tonks (Gloucester Rugby / Hartpury College), Rus Tuima (Exeter Chiefs / Exeter College)
Italy U18 Six Nations Festival Squad
Filippo Arongi (Benetton Treviso), Alessandro Maria Asoli (Fiamme Oro Rugby), Luca Borin (Femi-Cz Rovigo), Riccardo Capone (Gran Sasso Rugby), Matteo Drudi (Ur Capitolina), Andrea Faccenna (Ur Capitolina), Giacomo Florio (Fiamme Oro Rugby), Paolo Garbisi (Mogliano Rugby), Davide Goldin (Petrarca Padova), Ratko Jelic (Lions Amaranto), Pietro Marzocchi Traversa (Conad Reggio), Edoardo Mastrandrea (Valsugana Rugby), Angelo Maurizi (Pol. L’aquila Rugby), Michael Mba (Rugby Casale), Lorenzo Michelini (Biella Rugby), Matteo Moscardi (Femi-Cz Rovigo), Jona Motta (Rugby Milano), Michele Peruzzo (Valsugana Padova), Nicolò Quaglia (Rugby Rovato), Lorenzo Romano (Pro Recco Rugby), Rosario Tomas Conrado (Benetton Treviso), Paolo Steolo (Lafert San Donà), Filippo Villani (Conad Reggio), Andrea Zambonin (Rangers Vicenza), Mattia Zecchini (Romagna), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Treviso)
