Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions | Morse leads Wales into U18 Six Nations Festival

Morse has already picked up three caps for the Wales U20 team this season, scoring a try in the win over Scotland. He wasn’t in the U18 team that met England in Taunton recently.

England won that game 27-20, although on that occasion the home side had a number of players who aren’t available for the Festival because of a different age banding.

Wales head coach Matt O’Brien will be hoping to improve on that result. Wales go on to play Ireland and France in the competition.

England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy arfe all involved in Festival, which will involve three games each. The games are played over 70 minutes and the opening fixtures are on Saturday, 9 April. The other matches will be played on Wednesday, 13 April and Sunday, 17 April.

This will be the first Six Nations U18 Men’s Festival since 2019 due to the pandemic. Three years ago players such as Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit, England’s Raffi Quirke and Italy’s Stephen Varney were involved three years ago.

All the action will take place at the FFR National Centre in Marcoussis, France’s training base situated on the outskirts of Paris.

WALES U18 (v England)
15 Isaac Morgan (Ospreys)
14 Gabe Lacey (Bristol Bears)
13 Louie Hennessey (Cardiff Rugby / Hartpury)
12 Harri Ackerman (Dragons)
11 Huw Anderson (Dragons)
10 Sam Berry (Dragons)
9 Rhodri Lewis (Ospreys);
1 Ioan Emmanuel (Cardiff Rugby)
2 Isaac Young (Scarlets)
3 Connal Couch (Dragons)
4 Jonny Green (Harlequins)
5 Lewis Marsh (Ospreys)
6 Kenzie Jenkins (Cardiff Rugby)
7 Lucas De La Rua (Cardiff Rugby)
8 Morgan Morse (Ospreys, captain)

Replacements: Joe Rees (Scarlets), Morgan Williams (Dragons), Kian Hire (Ospreys), Nick Thomas (Dragons), Harri Beddall (Cardiff Rugby), Luca Giannini (Scarlets), Orson James (Cardiff Rugby), Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby), Cam Davies (Dragons), Ioan Duggan (Dragons), Walker Price (Dragons)

HOW IT WORKS

France were the only team to go unbeaten in 2019 and kick off the action against Ireland in the first round of fixtures with Scotland taking on Italy and England facing Wales.

Wednesday sees England face Italy with France locking horns with Scotland and Italy taking on England.
The final day’s action includes France against Wales, Ireland’s clash against Italy and an intriguing match-up between Scotland and England.

All players must have been born after January 1, 2004, to be eligible to compete which explains why some school leavers may not feature in their respective nation’s team.

THE CONTENDERS

France have had plenty of success at age group levels in the last few years with an abundance of young talent for Les Bleus to pick from by the time they get to senior level.

This year’s crop will be desperate to show what they can do as they look to make it successive festivals without defeat.

England have representatives from all Gallagher Premiership sides bar Saracens, while the Wales squad is dominated by eight Dragons players fresh from winning the Under 18 Regional Championships.

Wales coach Matt O’Brien has also included 10 new players who did not feature in the capped international defeat to England at Taunton last month, while Scotland coach Ross Miller admits it was a tough decision to cut his 39-man training squad down to 26.

Unlike some of the other nations, Ireland have exclusively selected players based in the country with Leinster, Munster and Ulster providing the entirety of the 26-man squad that is looking to pull off some impressive results.

Followers of school rugby will recognise several names in the Italy squad with City of Oxford College’s Lorenzo Casilio, Sedbergh’s Nicola Bozzo and Sam Luciano Ferrari, who studies at the Samuel Whitbread Academy, all set to take to the field.

WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY

Jonathan Pendlebury, England head coach: “We were pleased with the way the team played against Wales recently and I’m sure this group will take a lot from that. This will be a great opportunity for the group to spend 10 days together, cement relationships, learn from one another and take something from the experience that they can put into practice either back at their club or when they next meet in future England representative environments.

“Events such as these are a really important development experience for players at this age and we’re really pleased it’s able to take place again.”

Ross Miller, Scotland head coach: “The standard of players we’ve been able to select from was very high. They have all come into the programme with a good all-round skill set and rugby knowledge, which is testament to the development they’ve had in their club and school environments as well as the Scottish Rugby Regional Championship series.”

Matt O’Brien, Wales head coach: “We’re taking a fair few boys that weren’t capped in the first game against England, so it is another opportunity to get a few new caps. I think the growth in the players from when they first came in has already been massive. Results will be part of it, but performances and the improvement of the players on and off the field will also be a big thing for us.”

SQUADS

ENGLAND
Ollie Allan (Bishop Wand School/L.Irish), Joe Bailey (Exeter Chiefs/Exeter Coll), Conor Byrne (Trinity Coll/Harlequins), Finn Carnduff (Leicester GS/ Leicester Tigers), Zach Carr (Dulwich/Harlequins), Ethan Clarke (Worthing Coll/Harlequins), Luke Coulston (Gosforth Acad/Newcastle Falcons), Toby Cousins (Oakham/Northampton Saints), Connor Cross (Hampton School/L.Irish), Harvey Cuckson (Ellesmere Coll/ Worcester Warriors), Ben Douglas (Gosforth Acad/Newcastle Falcons), Will Glister (City of Oxford Coll/ Wasps), Arthur Green (Bath Rugby, Sherborne School), Jimmy Halliwell (Bristol Bears, Colston’s School), Ioan Jones (Gloucester/Dean Close School), George Loose (Leicester Tigers, Gresham’s School), Morgan Meredith (Brooksby Melton Coll/ Leicester Tigers), Ben Motamed (Manchester GS/Sales Sharks), Paddy Pearce (Colston’s/Bristol Bears), Mike Rewcastle (Gosforth Acad/Newcastle Falcons), Epi Rokodrava (City of Oxford Coll/Wasps), Charlie Smith (Dame Allans/Newcastle Falcons), Nick Tarr (Mark Rutherford School/Northampton Saints), Rory Taylor (Wellington Coll/L.Irish), Tristan Woodman (AKS Lytham/Sale Sharks), Craig Wright (Felsted/Northampton Saints)

FRANCE
Zaccharie Affane (Grenoble/APER Grenoble), Léo Ametlla (Provence Rugby/APER Aix-En-Provence), Théo Attissogbe (Stade Montois), Maxence Biasotto (Montauban/APER Toulouse), Hoani Bosmorin (La Rochelle), Adam Bouare (Montpellier), Mathis Castro Ferreira (Toulouse/APER Toulouse), Léo Chauvin (Bègles-Bordeaux/APER Talence), Bastien Chinarro (Perpignan), Marko Gazzotti (Grenoble/APER Grenoble), Simon Huchet (La Rochelle/APER La Rochelle), Lomig Jouanny (Montauban/APER Toulouse), Lino Julien (Nevers), Brent Liufau (Pau/APER Pau), Yannick Lodjro (Com Bagneux/Stade Français), Barnabé Massa (Grenoble/APER Grenoble), Tom Raffy (Brivel/APER Brive), Hugo Reus (Bègles-Bordeaux/APER Talence), Gabin Rocher (Grenoble/APER Grenoble), Titoan Rouvelet (Montpellier/APER Montpellier), Thomas Souverbie (Pau/APER Pau), Karsen Talalua (Grenoble/APER Grenoble), Andy Timo (Massy), Emilien Trezieres (Bègles-Bordeaux/APER Talence), Lucas Zamora (La Rochelle/APER La Rochelle), Noa Zinzen (Racing Club France)

IRELAND
Sam Berman (St Michael’s Coll/Leinster), Oliver Coffey (Blackrock Coll/Leinster), Stephen Kiely (Castletroy Coll/Munster), Luke Kritzinger (Blackrock Coll/Leinster), Harry Long (Ard Scoil Ris/Munster), Hugo McLaughlin (Gonzaga Coll/Leinster), Ruben Moloney (Blackrock Coll/Leinster), Jack Murphy (Presentation Coll, Bray/Leinster), Sean Naughton (Kilkenny Coll/Leinster), Ben O’Connor (Presentation Brothers Coll, Cork/Munster), Jake O’Riordan (St Munchin’s Coll/Munster), Finn Treacy (Presentation Coll, Bray/Leinster), Jacob Boyd (Royal Belfast Academical Inst/Ulster), Emmett Calvey (Ard Scoil Ris/Munster), Inigo Cruise O’Brien (Blackrock Coll/Leinster), Brian Gleeson (Rockwell Coll/Munster), Joe Hopes (Campbell Coll/Ulster), Kamil Novak (Christian Brothers Coll, Cork/Munster), Evan O’Connell (Castletroy Coll/Munster), Danny Sheehan (Presentation Brothers Coll, Cork/Munster), Jacob Sheahan (Presentation Brothers Coll, Cork/Munster), Stephen Smyth (Kilkenny Coll/Leinster), Zac Solomon (Campbell Coll/Ulster), Andrew Sparrow (St Mary’s Coll/Leinster), Tom Stewart (St Michael’s Coll/Leinster), Josh Stevens (Methodist Coll/Ulster)

ITALY
Davide Ascari (Rugby Colorno), Matteo Bianco (Lazio Rugby), Jacopo Botturi (Calvisano), Nicola Bozzo (Sedbergh School), Simone Brisighella (Rugby Viadana), Lorenzo Casilio (City of Oxford College/ Wasps), Giovanni Cinquegrani (Benneton Rugby), Lorenzo Elettri (Verona Rugby), Sam Luciano Ferrari (Samuel Whitbread/Northampton Saints), Tommaso Ferrari (Rugby Capitolina), Andrea Frattolillo (Rugby Petrarca), Marcos Francesco Gallorini (Vasari Junior Arezzo), Francesco Gandossi (Rugby Rovato), Nicholas Gasperini (Rugby Perugia), Francesco Imberti (Cus Torino), Mattia Jiminez (Rugby Petrarca), Samuele Mirenzi (VII Rugby Torini), Lorenzo Nanni (Livorno Rugby), Vittorio Padovani (Benneton Rugby), Marco Scalabrin (Benneton Rugby), Valerio Siciliano (Rugby Capitolina), Tommaso Simoni (Valpolicella Rugby), Federico Telandro (Rugby Petrarca), Andrea Toninelli (Rugby Rovato), Giacomo Vanzella (Benneton Rugby), Cesare Zucconi (Cavalieri Union R.Prato Sesto)

SCOTLAND
Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (Firhill HS/Boroughmuir Bears), Marcus Brogan (Hawick), Tom Currie (Merchiston Castle), Robbie Deans (Merchiston Castle), Monroe Job (Selkirk HS/Selkirk), Alfie Maitland (Stewarts Melville Coll), Liam McConnell (Boroughmuir HS/Boroughmuir Bears), Elliot Young (Stewarts Melville Coll), Euan McVie (Edinburgh BATS), Ruaraidh Hart (Glasgow Academy), Ben Weir (Melrose Rugby), Bartlomiej Brylak (St Leonards Madras), Callum Smyth (Bedford School/Northampton Saints), Sam Wallace (Dollar Academy), Luke Townsend (Earlston HS/Melrose Rugby), Amena Caqusau (Queen Victoria School), Hector Patterson (Jed Thistle), Andrew McLean (Robert Gordons Coll), Alexander Thom (Strathallan), John Ventisei (St Aloysius Coll), Euan Muirhead (West Coll/Dumfries Saints), Kerr Johnston (Gala), Murdock Lock (Wellington Coll/Harlequins), Finlay Thomson (Musselburgh), Jack Brown (George Watsons), Logan Jarvie (Stirling County)

WALES
Ioan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby), Morgan Williams (Dragons), Isaac Young (Scarlets), William Rees (Scarlets), Conall Couch (Dragons), Kian Hire (Ospreys), Jonny Green (Harlequins), Lewis Marsh (Ospreys), Nicholas Thomas (Dragons), Gianluca Giannini (Scarlets), Kenzie Jenkins (Cardiff Rugby), Lucas de la Rua (Cardiff Rugby), Morgan Morse (Ospreys), Harry Beddall (Cardiff Rugby), Rhodri Lewis (Ospreys), Orson James (Cardiff Rugby), Sam Berry (Dragons), Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby), Walker Price (Dragons Wing), Ioan Duggan (Dragons), Harri Ackerman (Dragons), Louie Hennessey (Cardiff Rugby/Hartpury), Cameron Davies (Dragons), Gabe Lacey (Bristol Bears), Isaac Morgan (Ospreys), Huw Anderson (Dragons)