Back row man Jac Morgan leads the Welsh team for the second game in a row and only he and lock Teddy Williams remain in their original position from the 22-14 defeat to France last weekend. Morgan is one of seven Scarlets in the matchday squad who lifted the Regional Age Grade title this season.
Harri Doel switches from wing to full back and Joe Roberts starts alongside his Sir Gar team mate Osian Knott at centre. Prop Callum Lewis starts at loose head and Jac Price packs down behind him with Morgan in the back row.
Head coach Chris Horsman has made 13 changes from the side that battled so well to contain a hugely physical French side at Ystrad Mynach. The Irish Schools pipped Italy U18, Wales’ final opponents on Sunday at the Arms Park, with a last minute penalty to steal a 20-17 victory.
Rising Cardiff Blues starts Teddy Williams and Ioan Davies should feel right at home when they run at Cardiff Arms Park this week. Ysgol Glantaf lock Williams retains his starting position, while Coleg Y Cymoedd flanker Davies starts on the openside.
The Irish Schools pipped Italy 20-17 thanks to a last minute penalty from scrum half Nathan Doak. The Irish head coach Peter Smyth has handed the captaincy to RBAI back rower David McCann for the game against Wales in a aside that shows 11 changes from the team that beat Italy.
Chris Cosgrave joins his St. Michael’s College colleague Andrew Smith in a back-three completed by Bangor Grammar School speedster Aaron Sexton. RBAI’s Angus Adair is set for his third successive start at centre, pairing up this time with Ben Power of Campbell College.
Straight swaps at half-back see Dylan Prendergast and Ben Murphy, son of Ireland skills and kicking coach Richie Murphy, both start for the first time. Last weekend’s match-winner, Doak, is included among the replacements. Cian Prendergast, who captained the Ireland U-18 Clubs & Schools side against Canada recently, packs down in the second row.
MATCH 2: WALES U18 V IRELAND SCHOOLS U18 (2.30PM)
Wales U18: Ioan Lloyd (Clifton College / Exiles); Harri Doel (Coleg Sir Gar / Scarlets Academy / Scarlets), Joe Roberts (Coleg Sir Gar / Burry Port / Scarlets), Osian Knott (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Quins / Scarlets), Louis Rees-Zammit (Hartpury College / Gloucester Academy / Exiles); Josh Thomas (Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr / Pontarddulais / Ospreys), Ellis Bevan (Bryanston / Ampthill / Exiles); Callum Williams (Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth / Tumble / Scarlets), Cameron Lewis (Coleg Sir Gar / Swansea Uplands / Ospreys), Archie Griffin (Marlborough College / Exiles), Jac Price (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Quins / Scarlets), Teddy Williams (Ysgol Gantaf / Cardiff Harlequins / Cardiff Blues), Olly White (Llandovery College / Llandovery / RGC), Jac Morgan (Coleg Sir Gar / Carmarthen Athletic / Scarlets – Captain), Ioan Rhys Davies (Coleg y Cymoedd / Merthyr / Cardiff Blues)
Reps: Llew Phillips-Taylor (Coleg Sir Gar / Scarlets), William Sanderson (Coleg Llandrillo / Wrexham / RGC), Luke Yendle (Newport High / Senghenydd / Dragons), Ben Carter (Newport High / Caldicot / Dragons), Carwyn Tuipulotu (Sedbergh School / Exiles), Robert Brookson (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United / Dragons), Frankie Jones (Neath Port Talbot College / Cwmafan / Ospreys), Dafydd Buckland (Newport HS / Rhymney / Dragons), Sam Costelow (Oakham School / Leicester Tigers / Exiles), Aneurin Owen (Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw / NHSOB / Dragons)
Ireland Schools U18: Chris Cosgrave (St Michael’s College); Andrew Smith (St.. Michael’s College), Ben Power (Campbell College), Angus Adair (RBAI), Aaron Sexton (Bangor GS); Dylan Prendergast (Sancta Maria College), Ben Murphy (Presentation College Bray); Connor Morrissey (Mayfield CS), Padraig McCarthy (Colaiste Pobail Bheanntrai), Charlie Ward (Tullow Community School), Conor McMenamin (Colaiste Ailigh), Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College), Sean O’Brien (Blackrock College), Anthony Ryan (Clongowes Wood College), David McCann (RBAI, captain)
Reps: Tom Stewart (Belfast Royal Academy), John McKee (Campbell College), Tom Clarkson (Blackrock College), Cian Hurley (CBC Cork), Tom Ahern (St. Augustine’s, Dungarvan), Alex Kendellen (PBC Cork), Ryan O’Neill (RS Armagh), Nathan Doak (Wallace HS), Paddy McKenzie (East Glendalough School), Karl Martin (St Mary’s School, Drogheda), Max O’Reilly (St Gerard’s School)
MATCH 1: ITALY U18 V ENGLAND U18 (12 NOON)
England U18 head coach John Fletcher has made 11 changes to the side that were beaten by Scotland in the opening game of the U18 Six Nations Festival for their second assignment against Italy at Cardiff Arms Park on Wednesday, 4 April (KO 12pm).
The young Scots hit back from a 15 point deficit to win 32-27 at Ystrad Mynach last weekend and will now face France in Round 2. Hooker Samson Ma’asi will captain England against Italy, who were pipped at the death by Irish Schools U18.
Ma’asi is joined in an entirely new front row by props Lewis Holsey and Cal Ford, while the giant Exeter Chiefs No 8 Rus Tuima is joined by flankers Henri Lavin and JJ Tonks in a new look back row.
“We’ve reflected on the Scotland game and we know we have to be better. The players were bitterly disappointed to lose,” said Fletcher.
“However, often the best learning comes from defeat, especially at this age, and I expect us to be better on Wednesday. We’ve played with good attacking intent this season in wanting to cause the opposition problems and score lots of tries.
“There are a couple of things in our attack that could be better, especially our integration between high numbers and low numbers, and from a defensive point of view we just didn’t problem solve in that second half against Scotland.
“This is a different group of players, we’ve made lots of changes to give all the players equal opportunities to play and are excited to see this team go and show what we’re about against a good Italian side who were really unfortunate to lose to Ireland in the last kick of the game.”
The Italians have made two changes to their back division from the opening game and kept together their impressive centre pairing of skipper Matteo Moscardi and Michael Mba. Up front they have made five changes to their starting pack.
England U18: Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School); Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints / Northampton School for Boys), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks / Kirkham Grammar School), Will Simonds (Wasps / Henley College); Harry Barlow (Harlequins / Cranleigh School); George Barton (Gloucester / Dean Close School), Callum Pascoe (Newcastle Falcons / Gosforth Academy); Lewis Holsey (Worcester Warriors / Solihull School), Samson Ma’asi (Northampton Saints / St Joseph’s, captain), Cal Ford (Sale Sharks / Sandbach School), Will Montgomery (Newcastle Falcons / Kirkbie Kendal School), Ben Donnell (London Irish / Peter Symonds College), Henri Lavin (Leicester Tigers / Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth College), JJ Tonks (Gloucester Rugby / Hartpury College), Rus Tuima (Exeter Chiefs / Exeter College)
Reps: Alfie Barbeary (Wasps / Bloxham School), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks / Sedbergh School), Jack Bartlett (Gloucester), George Martin (Leicester Tigers / Brooksby Melton College), Ted Leatherbarrow (Sale Sharks / Kirkham Grammar School), Rob Farrar (Newcastle Falcons / Sedbergh School), Blake Boyland (Bristol Rugby / SGS College), Reece Dunn (Gloucester / St Peter’s HS), Jacob Morris (Gloucester / Hartpury College), Manu Vunipola (Saracens / Harrow), Jack Reeves (Gloucester / Hartpury College)
Italy U18: Lorenzo Romano (Pro Recco Rugby); Edoardo Mastandrea (Valsugana Rugby), Michael Mba (Rugby Casale), Matteo Moscardi (FEMI-CZ Rovigo, captain), Albert Batista (Rugby Etruschi Livorno); Edoardo Mastandrea (Valsugana Rugby), Michael Mba (Rugby Casale), Matteo Moscardi (FEMI-CZ Rovigo, captain), Albert Batista (Rugby Etruschi Livorno); Paolo Garbisi (Mogliano Rugby), Matteo Petrozzi (Saracens Academy); Matteo Drudi (UR Capitolina), Tomas Rosario (Benetton Treviso), Filippo Alongi (Benetton Treviso), Paolo Steolo (Lafert San Donà), Andrea Zambonin (Rangers Vicenza), Angelo Maurizi (L’Aquila Rugby), Davide Goldin (Petrarca Padova), Andrea Faccenna (UR Capitolina)
Reps: Gianmarco Lucchesi (Lions Amaranto), Lorenzo Michelini (Biella Rugby), Giacomo Florio (Fiamme Oro Rugby), Leon Lawrence (Cavalieri Union Prato Sesto), Nicolo Quaglia (Rugby Rovato), Ratko Jelic (Lions Amaranto), Luca Borin (FEMI-CZ Rovigo), Jona Motta (Rugby Milano), Michele Peruzzo (Valsugana Padova), Pietro Marzocchi (Conad Reggio)
MATCH 3: SCOTLAND U18 v FRANCE U18
French manager Phillipe Laurent was happy to get off to a winning start against host nation Wales, but not so pleased to see his side almost surrender a 17 point lead.
And having seen Scotland hit back from 15 points down to beat England in their opener at Ystrad Mynach, he knows his side is in for another tough challenge at the Arms Park in Round 2.
“It was a game of two halves against Wales – we dominated strategically and technically in the first half and in the second the Welsh side found a way to really give us problems. They really put us under threat,” admitted Laurent.
“We were happy to win in the end, but we have a lot of work to do. That match could have gone either way.
“Scotland put in a very good performance to beat England and so we know it is going to be another tough challenge against them. The standard is high in this Festival.
“We are looking at this group to go on and possibly play in the 2023 World Cup. We have an ambitious development programme for them – some of them will be 23 or 24 by then and it is our job to prepare them for that.”
France U18: Erwan Dridi (Toulon); Malcom Bertschy (La Rochelle), Theo Costosseque (Bayonne), Maxime Espeut (Beziers), Nathanael Hulleu (Grenoble); Tom Deleuze (Colomiers), Kevin Viallard (Brive); Enzo Baggiani (Tarbes), Theo Lachaud (Toulon), Hugo Ndiaye (Provence), Antoine Bousquet, Florent Vanverberghe (Toulon), Gauthier Maravat (Agen), Wael May (Toulon), Thibault Hamonou (Toulouse)
Reps: Pierre Jutge (Colomiers), Eli Eglaine (Grenoble), Adrien Warion (Provence), Jordan Joseph (Massy), Remi Brosset (Agen), Yoram Falatea Moefana (Colomiers), Thomas Dolhagaray (Bayonne), Regis Montagne (Grenoble), Yan Peysson (Colomiers), Romain Fusier (Grenoble), Hugo Zabalza (Bayonne)
Scotland U18: Rufus McLean (Merchiston Castle School); Femi Sofolarin (Dulwich College / Harlequins), Matthew Currie (Merchiston Castle School), Paul Cunningham (George Watson’s / Haddington), Jack Blain (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewarts Melville RFC); Dan Lancaster (Yorkshire Carnegie / Bishop Burton College), Kristian Kay (Stowe School / Wasps); Thomas Jeffrey (Peebles), Scott Clelland (Ayr), Alex Pleasants (The Henley College / Wasps), Cameron Brown (Kelso HS / Kelso RFC / Scottish Borders), Cameron Henderson (Strathallan School), Gavin Wilson (Dumfries Saints), Connor Boyle (Stewart’s Melville College / Stewart’s Meville RFC, captain), Archie Smeaton (Yorkshire Carnegie / Hymers College)
Reps: Rory Jackson (Edinburgh Academy), Alex Maxwell , Dan Gamble (Kelso / Merchiston Castle School), Tom Morris (Dollar Academy), Jack Hill (Sedbergh School), Jamie Dobie (Merchiston Castle School), Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol / SGS College), Scott Robeson (George Heriot’s School), Rory Darge (Borders College / Melrose), Robbie McCallum (Loretto School), Charlie Hudson (St Peter’s, York)
U18 SIX NATIONS FESTIVAL
Round 2: Wednesday, 4 April – Cardiff Arms Park
12noon: Italy v England
2.30pm: Ireland v Wales
5.00pm: France v Scotland
Round 3: Sunday, 8 April – Cardiff Arms Park
12noon: Ireland v Scotland
2.30pm: Italy v Wales
5.00pm: France v England
Tickets for each matchday are £5 adults, U16s go free (maximum 2 free tickets per paying adult). Tickets for Matchdays 2 and 3 will only be available on the gate on matchday.
