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Seven capped players included in England A squad to play Australia A

BAGSHOT, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Fraser Dingwall of England runs with the ball during the England Training Session at Pennyhill Park on March 11, 2024 in Bagshot, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Northampton Saints centre Fraser Dingwall has been named England A captain as a 24-player squad was selected to take on Australia A at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday, November 17.

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Dingwall is one of seven capped players included, alongside club-mates Curtis Langdon and Tom Pearson, Leicester Tigers prop Joe Heyes, Bath flanker Ted Hill, Sale winger Tom Roebuck and Saracens No.8 Tom Willis.

Five of those, Dingwall, Pearson, Hill, Roebuck and Willis spent time with Steve Borthwick’s senior squad ahead of the Autumn Nations Series but were not involved in the narrow defeat to New Zealand or this weekend’s meeting with Australia.

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    Forwards Afolabi Fasogbon, Henry Pollock and Vilikesa Sela, meanwhile, have been included having been part of head coach Mark Mapletoft’s World Rugby U20 Championship winning side.

    Scrum-half Archie McParland did not feature in South Africa but played for Mapletoft during the 2024 U20 Six Nations, which England also won.

    In total, eight members of the matchday 23 that beat Portugal A 91-5 at Welford Road in February – the team’s first match for eight years – have been recalled for this month’s assignment.

    Premiership Rugby Player of the Month Gabriel Ibitoye, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his fine form with a place in the squad.

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    The wider squad and matchday 23 for the Australia A match has been selected in consultation with Mapletoft and determined by Borthwick and RFU Executive Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O’Shea.

    Mapletoft will be assisted by his U20 lieutenants Andy Titterrell and Nathan Catt while Bath’s Lee Blackett and Haydn Thomas of Exeter Chiefs will add their expertise to the coaching staff.

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    The squad will assemble at Hazlewood Centre next Tuesday, where they will be joined by selected players currently training with the senior squad.

    Mapletoft said: “The coaching staff and I are incredibly excited to reveal this squad after extensive collaborative work and are looking forward to working with some familiar and new faces alike.

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    “Next week presents a platform for a selection of some of the best Premiership talent to express themselves further whilst representing their country, some of those being U20 players me and the pathway staff have worked with very recently. It bridges from the pathway and into senior contention through vital game time in an England jersey.

    “An England A matchweek is a short turnaround; the key for us is to instill a chemistry through extensive preparation, knowledge sharing and a diligent team culture ahead of a very competitive opportunity in front of an energetic home support.”

    See England’s brightest young talent when England A take on Australia A on Sunday, 17 November at Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop – KO 14:00 GMT. Tickets are available from only £25 for adults & £15 for U16 (+booking fees) here.

    View the match live and free on RugbyPass TV (exc. UK & Australia).

    England Men A wider squad (includes club and senior caps)

    Forwards

    Joe Batley (Bristol Bears)

    Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)

    Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)

    Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)

    Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)

    Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints)

    Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins)

    Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

    Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)

    Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)

    Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

    Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby)

    Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)

    Backs

    Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)

    Oscar Beard (Harlequins)

    Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks)

    Fraser Dingwall (c) (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

    Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)

    Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)

    Cadan Murley (Harlequins)

    Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)

    Will Porter (Harlequins)

    Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)

    Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)

    England Men A coaching staff for Australia A fixture

    Mark Mapletoft – Head Coach

    Andy Titterrell – Forwards Coach

    Nathan Catt – Scrum Coach

    Lee Blackett – Attack Coach

    Haydn Thomas – Defence Coach

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    Comments

    6 Comments
    C
    CM 148 days ago

    A number of these players should be in the England 1stXV but SB is myopic as usual, trained by EJ.

    B
    Bjs 148 days ago

    Is Will Butt suspended for this fixture? We are short on 12s and he has shown up really well so far this season.

    A
    AJ 148 days ago

    My thoughts exactly!

    f
    fl 149 days ago

    1 Iyogun

    2 Langdon

    3 Heyes

    4 Hill??? (why is there only 1 lock in the squad???)

    5 Batley

    6 Pearson

    7 Pollock

    8 T. Willis

    9 Porter

    10 Shillcock

    11 Murley

    12 Ojomoh

    13 Dingwall

    14 Roebuck

    15 Carpenter


    ?

    f
    fl 149 days ago

    actually - by the looks of it there's only one loosehead in the squad, so presumably Opoku-Fordjour will be parachuted in after training with the first team. Perhaps this also opens up the possibility for Ewels to be picked at 4, with Hill moving to 6?

    T
    Timmyboy 149 days ago

    On premier sports instead of TNT just takes the p1ss.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    f
    fl 11 minutes ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement?”

    It is an achievement. It is less of an achievement than he managed with Barcelona. You said that ”He has gotten better with age. By every measure.” He hasn’t. Doesn’t mean he isn’t still extremely good though!


    ”I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…”

    are you really this incapable of understanding the context of what I’m saying? My point is that Gatland was a good coach ten years ago, and isn’t a good coach now. So what he did ten years ago is relevant to whether he was good ten years ago - that is pretty basic stuff.

    On the other hand, what Les Kiss did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now, just as what Gatland did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now.


    ”So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?”

    I was replying to your comment, given you have the memory of a goldfish and are unable to scroll up, I’m remind you what you said:

    “Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.”

    172 Go to comments
    I
    IkeaBoy 5 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

    Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


    “The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

    Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

    So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


    “I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

    I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

    Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


    “I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

    So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


    “lol u really need to chill out”

    Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

    172 Go to comments
    f
    fl 6 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

    Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


    “The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

    Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


    To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


    I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


    I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


    I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


    “Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

    lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

    172 Go to comments
    I
    IkeaBoy 6 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


    His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


    How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


    Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


    His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


    Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


    Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


    Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

    172 Go to comments
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