U20: 6 Nations, Round 5

It’s the decisive round for the Under-20 Six Nations with three teams as possible winners – France, Ireland and Scotland, each team beaten once this year.

Ireland were sitting pretty till they went across to Perth last week, The Scots sprang a surprise and did so convincingly, making it likely that France will take the title which England hold but cannot keep.

France have a much, much better points’ difference than the other two – +64 as against Ireland’s -5 and Scotland’s -7 and France play winless Italy – not that Italy are all that week.

Fixtures this weekend:

Italy vs France
England vs Scotland
Wakes vs Ireland
Results so far

Round 1

Ireland vs France, 9-6
England vs Italy, 17-0
Scotland vs Wales, 18-17

Round 2
 
France vs Scotland, 30-3
England vs Wales, 28-16
Ireland vs Italy, 29-23

Round 3

Scotland vs Italy, 14-10
Ireland vs England, 19-18
France vs Wales, 40-20

Round 4:

France vs England, 31-11
Scotland vs Ireland, 35-20
Wales vs Italy, 34-14

England vs Scotland at Sixways, Worcester, on Friday, 20 March 2009, kick-off 20.00

England have made changes from the team well beaten by France last week. Flyhalf Rob Miller and centre Henry Trinder  come back into the side and scrumhalf Jordi Pasqualin makes his debut. Seb Stegmann is required to play for Harlequins against the Sale Sharks and James Short takes his place.

There are changes in the pack. Joe Marler and James Clark come into the front row while Ben moon switches to tighthead.

Scotland have made just one change from the team which sprung the surprise on the Irish. Tall wing Adam McKenzie swaps with Grant Anderson, coming off the bench while Anderson subsides to the bench..

England: 15 Greig Tonks (Leicester Tigers), 14 George Lowe (Harlequins), 13 Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), 12 Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby), 11 James Short (Saracens), 10 Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons), 9 Jordi Pasqualin (Gloucester Rugby), 8 Chris York (Harlequins), 7 Jacob Rowan (Leeds Carnegie), 6 Jamie Gibson (London Irish), 5 James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), 4 Dan Williams (Gloucester Rugby), 3 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs), 2 James Clark (London Irish), 1 Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Replacements: 16 Jamie George (Saracens), 17 Shaun Knight (Gloucester Rugby), 18 Peter Elder (London Wasps), 19 Tom Sargeant (Harlequins), 20 Dan White (Leeds Carnegie), 21 Rory Clegg (Newcastle Falcons), 22 Will Hurrell (Leicester Tigers)

Scotland: 15 Robbie McGowan (Stirling County), 14 Paul Loudon (Durham University and Edinburgh Academicals),  13 Ashleah McCulloch (Aberdeen Grammar ), 12 Robbie Johnston (Leeds University and Leeds Carnegie), 11 Adam McKenzie (Northumbria University), 10 Andrew White (Glasgow Hawks), 9 Henry Pyrgos (Loughborough University), 8 Stuart McInally (Watsonians), 7 Chris Fusaro (Heriot’s), 6 Struan Dewar (Heriot’s), 5 Richard Gray (Glasgow Warriors) (captain),  4 Nick Campbell (Glasgow Hawks), 3 David Morton (Bridgwater), 2 Finlay Gilles (Heriot’s), 1 Gavin Cameron (Boroughmuir)
Replacements: 16 Ryan McConnell (Peebles), 17 Douglas Orr (Haddington), 18 James Taylor (Loughborough University and Dundee HSFP), 19 Tom Drennan (Edinburgh Academicals), 20 Peter Jericevich (Glasgow Hawks), 21 Peter Horne (West of Scotland), 22 Grant Anderson (Ayr)

Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)
Touch judges: Stephan Pomarède (France), Jérôme Lamirand (France)
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas (France)

Italy vs France at Stadio Comunale Guido Angelini in Chieti, Rome

Italy have given as good as they have got this season and a victory over France is not out of the question, especially as they are at home.

Italy have made three changes. Edoardo Gori moves from wing to scrumhalf, captain Luca Petillo moves to flank and Emiliano Caffini comes onto the flank.

Italy: 15 Alberto Benettin (Carrera Petrarca Padova), 14 Giovanbattista Venditti (AlmavivA UR Capitolina), 13 Denis Majstorovic (Vibu Noceto), 12 Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), 11 Ruggero Trevisan (Orved San Donà), 10 Tommaso Iannone (Ruggers Tarvisium), 9 Edoardo Gori (Consiag I Cavalieri Prato), 8 Gabriele Cicchinelli (AlmavivA UR Capitolina), 7 Luca Petillo (Mantovani Lazio) (captain), 6 Emiliano Caffini (MPS Viadana), 5 Filippo Cazzola (Casinò Di Venezia), 4 Lorenzo Contini (Plusvalore Gran Parma), 3 Lorenzo Romano (Overmach Cariparma), 2 Andrea Manici (Plusvalore Gran Parma), 1 Andrea Lovotti (Cammi Calvisano)
Replacements: 16 Antonio Denti (MPS Viadana), 17 Edoardo Carugi (MPS Viadana), 18 Carlo Fazzari (Cammi Calvisano), 19 Joshua Furno (Antares Benevento, 20 Filippo Ferrarini (Vibu Noceto), 21 Luca Martinelli (Fiamme Oro Roma), 22 Sebastian Rodwell (Giunti Firenze 1931)

France: 15 Djibril Camara (Stade Français), 14 Ben Fall (Bayonne), 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou (Montpellier, 12 Laurent Trainer (Biarritz), 11  Guillaume Namy (Brive), 10 Aristide  Barraud (Stade Français), 9 Florian Cazenave (Perpignan), 8 Jérôme Mondoulet (Agen), 7 Gunther, 6 Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne) (captain), 5 Mickaël De Marco (Montpellier), 4 Baptiste Hézard (Clermont Auvergne), 3 Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), 2 Jean-Charles Orioli (Toulon), 1 Thomas Dubois (Colomiers)
Replacements: 16 Antonin Raffault (Biarritz), 17 Thomas Lebrequier (Biarritz), 18 Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), 19 Loann Goujon (Clermont Auvergne), 20 Ludovic Radosavljevic (Clermont Auvergne), 21 Pierre Bernard (Bayonne), 22 Leo Griffoul (Narbonne)

Referee: David Bodilly (Wales)
Touch judges: Simon Harris (Wales), Chris Williams (Wales)

Wales vs Ireland at Parc y Stradey, Llanelli, on Friday, 20 March 2009, kick-off 19.10

Ireland have changed the team beaten in Perth but only slightly.

Adam Macklin, a replacement against Scotland, comes in to tighthead, Jack McGrath moves to loosehead and Paddy McAlister comes onto the bench.

Wales have a new captain in Flank Justin Tipuric, their third captain this year. He comes from the bench. Jason Tovey, over his injury, comes in at fullback.

Wales: 15 Jason Tovey (Dragons), 14 James Loxton (Blues Academy, Glamorgan Wanderers), 13 Scott Williams (Scarlets Academy, Llanelli), 12 Ashley Beck (Ospreys, Aberavon), 11 Nick Reynolds (Llanelli), 10 David Langdon (Dragons Academy, 9 Tavis Knoyle (Neath), 8 Rory Pitman (Ospreys Academy, Bridgend), 7 Justin Tipuric captain (Ospreys Academy, Aberavon), 6 James Thomas (Dragons Academy, Ebbw Vale), 5 Ashley Sweet (Dragons Academy, Cross Keys), 4 James King (Ospreys Academy, Aberavon), 3 Scott Andrews (Blues Academy, Glamorgan Wanderers) (captain), 2 Rhys Williams (Blues Academy, Pontypridd), 1 Aaron Coundley (Dragons Academy, Ebbw Vale)
Replacements: 16 Craig Attwell (Dragons Academy, Newbridge), 17 Simon Gardiner (Scarlets Academy, Llanelli), 18 Rhys Jenkins (Dragons Academy, Ebbw Vale), 19 Josh Navidi (Blues Academy, Glamorgan Wanderers), 20 James Leadbeater (Cross Keys), 21 Rhys Downes (Blues Academy, Pontypridd), 22  Matthew Jarvis (Ospreys Academy, Neath).

Ireland: 15 David Kearney (Lansdowne, Leinster), 14 Ronan O’Mahony (Garryowen, Munster), 13 Shane Gahan (Lansdowne, Leinster), 12 Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne, Leinster), 11 Michael Keating (Clontarf, Leinster), 10 Ian Madigan (Blackrock College, Leinster), 9 Matthew Healy (Lansdowne, Leinster), 8 Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution, Munster)  (captain), 7 Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne, Leinster), 6 Rhys Ruddock (Millfield School, Exiles), 5 James Sandford (Queens University, Ulster), 4 Ciaran Ruddock (Neath, Exiles), 3 Adam Macklin (Belfast Harlequins, Ulster), 2 Thomas Sexton (Old Belvedere, Leinster), 1 Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College, Leinster),
Replacements: 16 David McGregor (Ballynahinch, Ulster), 17 Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch, Ulster), 18 Mark Flanagan (UCD, Leinster), 19 Michael Noone (Seapoint, Leinster), 20 Conor Murray (Garryowen, Munster), 21 Andrew Burke (Garryowen, Munster), 22 Ian McKinley (UCD, Leinster)

Referee: Tba