Wales head for U/19 Grand Slam
England meet France
Wales have beaten England, Scotland and Ireland at Under-19 level this season and are in line to add a Grand Slam to their Triple Crown.
England will travel down to the lake and forests of Marensin in southwest France to play France.
France Under-19 vs England at Souston on Saturday, 11 March, kick-off at 15.00
Announcing his squad of 23, National Academy and England's Under-19 coach, Nigel Redman, said: “We are very much looking forward to this match. The French will offer a real contest in the scrum and their willingness to throw the ball around will test our defence. A challenge at this level will be excellent experience for our players prior to the IRB Under-19 World Championship.”
England: 15 Adam Powell (Saracens), 14 Oliver Dodge (Leicester Tigers), 13 Chris Pennell (Worcester Warriors), 12 Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), 11 Jordan Turner-Hall (NEC Harlequins), 10 Daniel Cipriani (London Wasps & Whitgift) (captain), 9 Joseph Simpson (London Wasps & St Benedict’s), 8 David Tait (Sale Sharks), 7 Andrew Saull (Saracens & Bancroft’s School), 6 Alex Shaw (Leicester Tigers), 5 Ben Thomas (Saracens & Haileybury College), 4 Sam McDonald (Worcester Warriors), 3 Tom Mercey (Saracens), 2 Ross McMillan (Nottingham), 1 Matthew Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
Replacements: 16 Jordan Page (Leeds Tykes), 17 Daniel Cole (Leicester Tigers), 18 Charlie Beech (Northampton Saints), 19 David Attwood (Bristol & Bristol Uni), 20 Iain Grieve (Bristol), 21 Richard Bolt (Exeter Chiefs & SWERA), 22 Adam Greendale (Leeds Tykes & Hymers College), 23 George Hughes (Bath)
France squad: Julien Andoque (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Massy), Mathieu Belie (Toulouse), Terry Bourahoua (Stade Français), Antoine Burban (Paris UC), Maxime Carabignac (Agen), Stéphane Clement (Toulouse), Thomas Combezou (Clermont Auvergne), Benjamin Dechartres (Clermont Auvergne), Mickael Drouard (Pau), Julien Fumat (Pau), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Pierre-Gilles Lakafia (Clermont Auvergne), Christophe Litzler (Clermont Auvergne), Albin (Louchard Bourgoin), Pierre Marteliiere (La Rochelle), Jean Monribot (Agen), Mathieu Nicolas (Bourgoin), Alexis Palisson (Brive), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Mathieu Petitdemange (Montpellier), Cyriac Ponnau (Toulouse), Benjamin Sore (Agen), Julien Tastet (Mont-de-Marsan), Simon Ternisien (Bayonne), Adrien Tomas (Montpellier), Alexandre Valdant (Bourgoin), Thomas Vervoort (Toulon)
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Touch judges: David Passicos, Christophe Degos (both France)
Wales vs Italy at Aberavon on Thursday, 8 March, kick-off 19.00
Italy are certainly no push-overs. This season at Under-19 level they have beaten Scotland and France.
There is one change to the Italian side which played England. Fabrizio Sepe comes in to fullback in the place of injured Stefano Ambrosio.
With ambition riding high and despite their resounding 31-6 win over Ireland coach James Burnell has made nine changes to his team.
Hooker Marc Jones, lock Adam Brown and flank Sam Kiley will all win their first Under-19 caps against the Azzurrini, prop Hugh Gustafson – last season's Under-18 captain – leading the national Under-19 team for the first time.
Burnell said: "I have got no doubts whatsoever about the abilities of the players coming in.
"At the end of the month we go to Dubai for four weeks for the Under-19 World Cup and it is essential that everyone in the squad has game time before that tournament. So they are now given their opportunities to impress.
"We have got to a level where all the boys are such a massive part of our environment and the match against Italy is the chance to keep the drum beating.
"It is great to have won the Triple Crown but that is only half the job done – we want the Grand Slam as well."
In addition to their three players making their debuts, the other changes from the starting line-up against Ireland see lock James Down, threequarters Jonathan Davies and Jimmy Norris and halfbacks Rhys Priestland and Darren Allinson called up to start against the Azzurrini.
Teams:
Wales Under-19: 15 Martyn Thomas (Scarlets), 14 Alec Jenkins (Scarlets), 13 Gareth Maule (Dragons), 12 Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), 11 Jimmy Norris (Dragons), 10 Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), 9 Darren Allinson (Scarlets), 8 Lewis Evans (Dragons), 7 Daniel Franks (Blues), 6 Sam Kiley (Ospreys), 5 James Down (Blues), 4 Adam Brown (Dragons), 3 Jamie Corsi (Dragons), 2 Marc Jones (Exiles), 1 Hugh Gustafson (Scarlets) (captain).
Replacements (from): Keiron Jenkins (Blues), Nicholas Eaves (Blues), Bradley Davies (Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Ashley Smith (Dragons), Robert Lewis (Dragons), James Lewis (Dragons), Matthew Larsen (Blues), Marc Breeze (Ospreys),
Italy Under-19: 15 Pietro Valcastelli (Futura Park Rugby Roma), 14 Filippo Vezzosi (Consiag I Cavalieri Prato), 13 Lorenzo Innocenti (Carrera Petrarca Padova), 12 Alberto Dal Corso (Carrera Petrarca Padova) (captain), 11 Andrea Bacchetti (Adriatic Lng Rovigo), 10 Giulio Rubini (Orienta ASR Frascati), 9 Michael Wilson (Benetton Treviso), 8 Davide Duca (Orienta ASR Frascati), 7 Filippo Cristiano (Ghial Calvisano), 6 Giorgio Di Laura Frattura (Net.Com Lazio & Primavera), 5 Mauro Nicolli (SS Rugby Bassano), 4 Luca Beccaris (Ghial Calvisano), 3 Emanuele Borboni (Admo Leonessa Brescia), 2 Nicola Gatto (Halley Ercole Monselice), 1 Plinio Sciamanna (Arix Viadana).
Replacements (from): Gabriele Turroni (ASR Cesena), Alessandro Borsi (Ghial Calvisano), Daniele Pasqualetto (Rugby Mirano), Francesco Fronzoni (Consiag I Cavalieri Prato) Natale Duca (Arix Viadana), Eugenio Martinelli (IVPC UR Sannio), Angelo Pauletti (Benetton Treviso), Nicola Pedrazzani (Rugby Brescia), Fabrizio Sepe (Net.Com Lazio & Primavera),Tito Tebaldi (Coop Rugby Noceto), Andrea Zampiron (Carrera Petrarca Padova)
Referee: Stéphane Pomarède (France)
