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Unbeaten England U20s finding it 'very difficult to be too picky'
There is a good vibe currently around the England U20s. RugbyPass glimpsed this ‘brotherhood’ bonhomie first-hand in the Edinburgh airport 13 days ago, the squad in high spirits as they walked through the building with a real sense of camaraderie as they prepared to fly home that Saturday morning.
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This Friday night in Bath, though, will test the steel of these fledgling age-grade relationships. Defending champions Ireland are in town looking to get stuck into their hosts and England head coach Markl Mapletoft can’t wait to see how his young guns react.
“We have done our best preparation wise, I don’t think we could have done much more,” he told RugbyPass in the lead-up to the head-to-head featuring the two U20s sides who emerged from February with three wins each.
“Training has been good. The weather has turned, it’s been sunny. We have been training in nice conditions as opposed to pelting down with rain and muddy pitches. Hopefully, it stays fair for Friday night. Very excited.
“Always good to play Ireland and a great test for us. The first time we have come up against a team higher ranked than ourselves since the summer World Cup, so everybody’s excited. Can’t wait.”
The tournament so far has tested the depth of Mapletoft’s resources. Only a handful of players will be starting for the fourth match in a row, such has been the turnover in personnel. For instance, two of the players spotted at Edinburgh airport were being wheeled towards departures in wheelchairs due to injury.
Despite the revolving selection door, the head coach admitted he can’t be picky with England harvesting maximum points – 15 – from their three wins, one point more than the Irish.
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“Considering we have been forced into some changes both at the last minute and the preparation of, they have done remarkably well. It’s never easy overcoming things like Archie (McParland) pulling out in the warm-up in Italy or changing Josh (Bellamy) for Rory (Taylor) in the lead-up to Scotland and then Rory coming on and getting injured inside 15 minutes.
“They are tough situations for any player to overcome, let alone 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds. Listen, I have to give them a lot of credit. They have shown a great amount of fortitude just to get on with things and in terms of outcome, the maximum amount of points you can garner from the three games is 15, so in terms of outcomes very difficult to be too picky.
“Definitely areas of performance that we know we need to get better at and we know we need to get better at and this is a great test and springboard for us looking ahead to the World Cup where we will come up against some really strong sides. It’s the first test where we play a higher-ranked team than ourselves.”
So good have Ireland been in recent times, they are two wins away from clinching a third successive age-grade Six Nations Grand Slam. No wonder Mapletoft doffed the cap to his Irish counterpart Richie Murphy, who will become interim boss at Ulster once the U20s championship finishes next weekend.
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“Ireland are a very good side when they get in your 22, very physical, very direct, very well organised. I like Richie a lot. Really pleased that he seems to have an opportunity to test himself coaching-wise at URC level, which is fabulous for him.
“His teams are very well-organised, very well coached, real easy to see their MO and look, they are well disciplined in terms of keeping to their structures and they challenge you physically. If we can match up with that and be disciplined and not give them too many entries into our 22 then we stand a chance of putting in a good performance.
"We haven't got a crystal ball…"
– England U20s head coach Mark Mapletoft on the potential for the Racing 92-based Junior Kpoku to play for France in the future. #EnglandRugby #ENGvIRE #U6N20 pic.twitter.com/XUp3UxD0ve
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 6, 2024
“Equally when we have the ball we have to challenge them in the right areas, use our superpowers as well to make sure we stay on top of them in certain areas.
“We are expecting a very close, tight game. I just hope the conditions stay nice because our game down at The Rec against Wales was really greasy and terrible conditions for attractive rugby.
“It was a bit forwards orientated, a bit stodgy as well at times. Hopefully, we will get a full house down there, it will be a really good experience for all the lads, all 46 lads on both sides playing in front of big crowds like that.
“I know the Irish boys get that in Cork for their home games but it’s always nice to be challenged away from home. I thought they were exceptional when they went to France first round.
“They showed they can play in a hostile environment against a good side. It didn’t faze them at all so if we want to get anything from the game we are going to need to be right at it.
“I’m sure it will be a fiercely contested affair, two good, well-organised sides with some really good players and definitely some future internationals I’m sure across both teams. Just really enjoy it, get out there, let’s fill The Rec and see what happens.”
Among this week’s England attractions is skipper Finn Carnduff reverting to blindside after impressing the last day at lock. “We had a couple of unavailabilities. Olamide (Sodeke) and Junior Kpoku were unavailable for the Scotland game for different reasons.
“So we talked about Finn being able to move up and play second row and I thought he and Joe (Bailey) did a great job and then we got Harry Browne involved off the bench as well.
“Harry had been involved last year so plenty of experience there. It also allowed us to have a look at different combinations in the back row, but Finn’s best position is six.
“He offers an incredible amount of work rate, experience and leadership from that position and we have got Olamide and Junior back this week, so we are back to how we were pre-Scotland.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Best thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
8 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
21 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
65 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
21 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
65 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
8 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
8 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
8 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
8 Go to comments