England, France showdown at U21
Unbeaten teams meet
Their seniors may not be unbeaten but France and England are undefeated at Under-21 level and they meet this week in a match which will determine who the Under-21 Champions of the Six Nations will be. All the teams will have an eye on the IRB Under-21 World Championship later this year.
Results on the Under-21 Six Nations up till now:
Round 1
England vs Wales, 26-18
France vs Scotland, 37-0
Ireland vs Italy, 34-9
Round 2
England vs Italy, 48-3
France vs Ireland, 29-10
Wales vs Scotland, 34-24
Round 3
England vs Scotland, 49-22
Wales vs Ireland, 14-13
France vs Italy, 51-5
France Under-21 vs England Under-21
England coach Jim Mallinder said: “The French are a very strong side with a good record in this championship and they certainly won’t want their first loss to be against us especially in front of a home crowd. We expect a very tough game but we're well prepared and looking forward to the challenge.”
Fit again flyhalf Toby Flood of Newcastle Falcons makes his first Under-21 appearance this season.
Mallinder said: “Toby’s been a part of our plans from the start. Unfortunately he got injured but we've been fortunate to have good strength in the midfield and great options to choose from. Toby will bring the experience he’s gained playing in this year's Guinness Premiership to such an important game.”
Also joining the squad for the first time is Northampton Saints forward Alex Rae. Rae replaces Chris Robshaw who broke his leg in training with Harlequins last week. Prop Alex Rogers, make his first appearance in the run on side.
Teams:
France Under-21 squad: Fabien Alexandre (Dax), Bourrust (Auch), Yohan Carpentier (La Rochelle), Florian Cazalot (Pau), Damien Chouly (Brive), Denys Drozdz (Brive), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Arnaud Héguy (Bayonne), Loic Jacquet (Clermont Auvergne), Nicolas Bontinck (Bourgoin), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Damien Weber (Stade Français), Lionel Beauxis (Pau), Jacques Boussuges (Montpellier), Fabien Cibray (Pau) (captain), Christophe Clarac (Auch), Florian Denos (Auch), Yann for (Castres), Thierry Brana (Stade Français), Arnaud Mignardi (Auch), Grégory Puyo (Pau), François Trinh Duc (Montpellier)
England Under-21: 15 Mike Brown (Harlequins), 14 Thom Evans (London Wasps), 13 Matt Cornwell (Leicester Tigers) (captain), 12 Anthony Allen (Gloucester), 11 Nick Abendanon (Bath), 10 Toby Flood (Newcastle Falcons), 9 Ben Foden (Sale Sharks), 8 Jordan Crane (Leeds Tykes), 7 Michael Hills (Sale Sharks), 6 James Haskell (London Wasps), 5 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), 4 Richard Blaze (Worcester Warriors), 3 David Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), 2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), 1 Alex Rogers (Harlequins)
Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs (Sale Sharks), 17 Mark Lambert (Harlequins), 18 Sean Cox (Sale Sharks), 19 Alex Rae (Northampton Saints), 20 Nick Runciman (Worcester Warriors), 21 Ryan Lamb (Gloucester), 22 Topsy Ojo (London Irish)
Coaches: Jim Mallinder, Dorian West
Date: Saturday, 11 March 2006
Kick-off: 17.30
Venue: Stade Municipal, Périgueux
Referee: Phil Fear (Wales)
Touch judges: Jonathan Mason, Scott Fleming (both Wales)
Ireland Under-21 vs Scotland Under-21
This could be a really close call.
Scotland has made five changes to the team beaten 49-22 by England.
John Beattie has recovered from glandular fever to make his first Six Nations start this year, joining his Warriors' team-mate John Barclay and Gunner Alan MacDonald in a strong backrow.
Ben Addison goes from wing to fullback while speedy Cameron Johnston of the Scotland Sevens team comes onto the wing. Iain Kennedy comes off the bench and into the starting team at centre.
Coach Iain Paxton said: “This is the back row that we were hoping to have right from the start but unfortunately it wasn't possible. Hopefully they'll produce the level of performance they are capable of and we'll benefit from the experience they've gained from their pro-teams.
“Cameron has been playing well for Scotland Sevens and he’s got real gas so we're keen to look at him. The changes on the bench have come through feedback from coaches and having watched players recently at club level. We're casting the net before we head to Vichy for the championships in June."
Ireland have made three changes from the team which Wales just beat.
In the backs, Jonathon Sexton plays flyhalf instead of Conan Doyle who lapses to the bench. Daragh Hurley, who had to withdraw from the starting side for the Wales game due to a hamstring injury, comes back into the squad, this time on the bench. In the back row, Ross Noonan returns to the starting side in place of Michael Essex.
Teams:
Ireland Under-21: 15 Fionn Carr (Blackrock College), 14 Peter Durcan (Galwegians), 13 Fergus McFadden (UCD), 12 Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins), 11 Matthew Williams (Bristol ), 10 Jonathan Sexton (St Mary’s College), 9 Paul Marshall (Ballynahinch), 8 Sean O'Brien (UCD), 7 Ejike Uzoigwe (Hartpury College), 6 Ross Noonan (UCC), 5 Daniel Touhy (Gloucester), 4 Devin Toner (Lansdowne), 3 Paul Doran-Jones (Dublin University), 2 Stuart Philpott (Belfast Harlequins) (captain), 1 Callum Black (Worcester Warriors)
Re placements: 16 Sean Cronin (Shannon), 17 Darragh Hurley (UCC), 18 David McGowan (Buccaneers), 19 Billy Holland (UCC), 20 Duncan Williams (UCC), 21 Conan Doyle (Garryowen), 22 Tom Gleeson (Cork Constitution)
Scotland Under-21: 15 Ben Addison (Stirling County), 14 Cameron Johnston (Newcastle Falcons), 13 Ben Cairns (Edinburgh Gunners), 12 Iain Kennedy (Glasgow Warriors, Glasgow Hawks), 11 Lee Kibble (Border Reivers), 10 Dave Blair (Sale Sharks) (captain), 9 Greig Laidlaw (Jed-Forest), 8 John Beattie (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Alan MacDonald (Edinburgh Gunners), 6 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Ian Nimmo (Leicester Tigers), 4 James Eddie (Glasgow Warriors), 3 David Young (Leicester Tigers), 2 Sean Crombie (Aberdeen GSFP), 1 Ryan Grant (Army)
Replacements: 16 Andrew Reekie (Currie), 17 Kyle Traynor (Edinburgh Gunners), 18 Scott Newlands (Heriot’s), 19 Calum Forrester (GHA), 20 Stephen Biggart (Glasgow Hawks), 21 James King (Border Reivers), 22 Chris Dunlop (Durham University)
Date: Friday, 19 March 2006
Kick-off: 18.30
Venue: Dubarry Park, Athlone
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges: Bruce Robertson, Lloyd Jackson (both England)
Wales Under-21 vs Italy Under-21
It is a match which Wales would be expected to win.
James Hook, the Welsh flyhalf, is at the Commonwealth games in Melbourne and David Flannigan plays in his place.
Fullback Aled Thomas, wing Aled Brew and flanker Adam Powell come into the starting XV with centre Tom Cheesman on the bench for the first time.
Coach Chris Davey said: "We will shortly be selecting the 26 players for the Under-21 World Cup being staged in France in June and these changes are made with the aim of seeing what sort of strength in depth we have.
"David Flannigan had a couple of appearances for us at last year's World Cup and is a very good player, a lovely passer of the ball who gets his backs moving well."
Assistant coach Dai Rees is also at the Commonwealth Games, and Neil Jenkins, Welsh legend and now the national skills coach, looks after the backs.
Italy have lost their captain and lock Alberto Saccardo who suffered an injury at work. Matteo Muccignat. takes his place.
Wales Under-21: Aled Thomas (Newport), Aled Brew (Neath), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), Tom Riley (Pontypridd), Chris Czekaj (Cardiff Blues), David Flannigan (Pontypridd), Martin Roberts (Neath), Rhys Gill (Cardiff), Duane Goodfield (Pontypridd), Phil Osborne (Newport), Alun Wyn Jones (Swansea), Dominic Day (Carmarthen Quins), Adam Powell (Pontypridd), Rhys Shellard (Pontypridd), Tom Smith (Neath, captain)
Replacements: Ed Shervington (Neath), Craig Mitchell (Neath), Will Jones (Newport), Ben Lewis (Swansea), Tom Cheeseman (Bath), Liam Davies (Llanelli), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff)
Coaches: Chris Davey, Simon King, Neil Jenkins
Italy Under-21: 15 Michele Sepe (HDI UR Capitolina); 14 Matteo Pratichetti (Ghial Calvisano), 13 Enrico Ceccato I (Marchiol San Marco), 12 Marco Neethling (Overmach), 11 Diego Varani (Futura Park Rugby Roma); 10 Paolo Buso (Ghial Calvisano), 9 Stefano Canale (Adriatic Lng Rovigo); 8 Marco Filippucci (Benetton Treviso), 7 Nicola Cattina (Ghial Calvisano, Cap), 6 Paul Derbyshire (Stade Français); 5 Andrea Barbieri (Consiag I Cavalieri Prato), 4 Mantvydas Tveraga (Stade Français); 3 Matteo Muccignat (Benetton Treviso) 2 Lorenzo Giovanchelli (Stade Français), 1 Alberto De Marchi (Orved San Donà)
Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon (Marchiol San Marco), 17 Valerio Vicerè (Antares Benevento), 18 Andrea Michelini (Modena Rugby), 19 Franco Rendace (Antares Benevento), 20 Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), 21 Enrico Patrizio (Carrera Petrarca Padova), 22 Riccardo Robuschi (Overmach Parma)
Coach: Marzio Zanato
Date: Friday, 190 March 2006
Kick-off: 19.30
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: George Clancey (Ireland)
Touch judges: Colin Stanley, Sean Flattery (both Ireland)
