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'Fearless, brave': From National One to a first England U20s start
England age-grade boss Mark Mapletoft has saluted the recent rapid rise of George Makepeace-Cubitt in going from National League One full-back to starting for his country’s U20s at No10 in Friday night’s Six Nations title fight in France.
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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.
He wasn’t at all overawed by the experience and his three appearances off the bench have now paved the way for his final-round selection as the starting out-half this weekend in Pau, a match that England head into sitting on top of the table one point ahead of Ireland who host Scotland in Cork.
Mapletoft quipped last month that he didn’t know Makepeace-Cubitt until he turned up in England camp to play in the championship after a few early injuries were sustained.
However, he has now admitted that this was a cheeky description, that he did know of the youngster who was part of the London Irish set-up that folded last year with the club’s unfortunate financial demise.
Makepeace-Cubitt has since gone back to his minis club Rams, turning out for them in National One, and Mapletoft described the youngster’s selection to start for England U20s in a title decider as an excellent example of someone who continued to believe in himself away from the age-grade pathway despite a succession of setbacks.
“I was a bit tongue in cheek when I said I never heard of him, I clearly had heard of him having worked in the U18s,” explained Mapletoft to RugbyPass. “He and I have had a laugh about this throughout the time he has been in. I first watched him play for London Irish in an academy match U18s against Gloucester.
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“He played so well; we used to do across-the-round player of the week which he won back in December 2021 or January 2022. I have known about George for a while. He has had an incredible mixed bag of fortune in the intervening period.
“He was contracted by Irish. He went on loan playing in National League (Two East with Barnes). The Irish story has been well advertised. He has gone back to his junior club Rams. He has had a shoulder injury. He has got back to playing pre-Christmas. He has had a concussion.
“He has finally strung some games together for Rams, who are going well in National One, and is probably playing at a similar level to a lot of the (England U20s) backs – and I just thought he deserved a chance.
“Alan (Dickens) had him in the U19s at the back end of last year. He has not never played for England before. We know a lot about him but really we kind of felt he had been lost to the game potentially, but he has shown incredible resilience to get back to where he was.
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“He actually said to me he was genuinely hoping he would get the call at some point if he got back playing to the level he felt he could.
“Just credit to him: he has come in, has been fearless, has been brave, has slotted well in. He did a brilliant presentation to the lads on attack yesterday [Tuesday] which I have seen senior pros struggle with. Listen, I can’t give him enough credit.
What England are saying about the novelty of picking a National League player, Rams' George Makepeace-Cubitt, for his U20s debut on Friday. #U6N20 #EnglandRugby #ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/mTywLu7HK3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 9, 2024
“Hopefully the message is the pathway is what it is. People automatically assume that because you are not contracted to a club or that opportunity passes you by, then that is your time gone and it’s far from it.
“We have had Max Blinkhorn called in this year from Nottingham Uni, who unfortunately didn’t pick up a club when Wasps went under.
“With only 10 Premiership clubs now and less opportunity potentially, not everybody is going to get that contract at 18, and it [these stories] is a really good advert for just not giving up and showing that resilience and mental fortitude to stay with it and, if you believe in yourself, who knows what can happen.”
The promotion of Makepeace-Cubitt into the England U20s starting team at the expense of the benched Josh Bellamy is one of four changes made by Mapletoft to face the French following last Friday’s dramatic 32-all draw with Ireland at The Rec.
The other backline change sees the return of Ioan Jones at full-back with Ben Redshaw switching to the left wing and Alex Wills missing out. Another first-time starter is James Isaacs, who is chosen as hooker with Jacob Oliver moving to the bench.
He is joined there among the replacements by Olamide Sodeke, who has given up his starting pace at lock to Joe Bailey. Regarding the benching of Sodeke, Mapletoft explained: “We have mixed and matched a little bit where we have had to and at the same time we have often been forced into a lot of changes due to injury and illness. There is a lot of illness going around.
"Fair contest in the air, it shouldn’t have been a penalty…"
– England U20s boss Mark Mapletoft on his team's Six Nations draw with Ireland, from Liam Heagney ???in Bath. #EnglandRugby #IrelandRugby #ENGvIRE #U6N20 #rugby
Click below for more ?? https://t.co/rWAf1jiQEO
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 9, 2024
“Talking to (Ireland coach) Richie Murphy before the game last week, their lads there has been a lot of virus going around their group as well. Our job really – and I have been at pains to stress this – is yes, we have got a chance to win the Six Nations but ultimately this is a development programme and we want to put ourselves in the best possible position to help these lads in their development.
“This week Joe and Junior (Kpoku) get the opportunity to go in the second row together and I have no doubt Olamide will make a huge impact off the bench.
“It’s great learning for the lads to play tournament rugby because the same thing will happen in the World Cup – you can’t field the same team in all five rounds otherwise you’d probably be playing with six players at the end of it.
“There is a little preparation around that and combinations and players that we feel we want to start the game with and players we want to finish the game with. We know to get a positive outcome from the game we need to be competitive through the 80 minutes so we need to make sure we are.”
Comments on RugbyPass
‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
4 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
4 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
7 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
7 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to comments