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Spain welcome host of Top 14 stars for England A clash
Good news for Spain fans, as Pablo Bouza has selected some of the Los Leones’ most prominent international players for the upcoming England ‘A’ game, with Toulouse prop Joel Merkler amongst the 32-man list.
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The prop who has helped Toulouse claim several titles in the past few years will feature for Spain for the first time since February and replaces Jon Zabala in Pablo Bouza’s selection.
The experienced 24-year-old front-rower isn’t the only one, as Stade Français’ Álvaro García, Bayonne’s Manex Ariceta, Biarritz’s Ekain Imaz, Toulouse’s Lucien Richardis and Pau’s Guido Reyes will feature in this Saturday’s fixture.
However, the biggest inclusion is that of Stade Français star utility back Samuel Ezeala, who, after several attempts, will finally make his debut for Los Leones.
The 26-year-old made his Top 14 debut in 2017, featuring for ASM Clermont for several years before signing a one-year deal with Pau, where he scored nine tries in 17 games.
He then proceeded to join Stade Français in 2024 and has established himself as a first-team player, having already played more than 30 games since his arrival.
With Ezeala, Merkler, Ariceta, and García joining the squad, Bouza has a star-studded team at his disposal to take on England ‘A’. The two teams have met eight times before, with England winning every encounter. The last time they faced each other was in 1994, when the tourists claimed an 86-17 win over their Spanish hosts.
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Spain has already hosted Ireland ‘A’, a 61-24 defeat in a match attended by more than 12,000 fans. It will wrap up their November Test Match campaign with a game against Fiji at the iconic La Rosaleda in Málaga.
The game will take place at Valladolid’s Estadio José Zorrilla on Saturday, November 15, and is available on RPTV.
????? desvela la lista de #LosLeones convocados para enfrentarse a @EnglandRugby A. 📋
🗓️ 15/11/2025. 17:00 Horas
📍 Estadio José Zorrilla
🎟️ Entradas disponibles en ???????.??/???????? #LoQueNosUne pic.twitter.com/5kFyW1c7TU
— España Rugby (@ferugby) November 11, 2025
