What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

COACH Mark Mapletoft is urging England's Under 20 players to force their way into Martin Johnson's plans at next month's IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship.

Five of the players who started against New Zealand in the final of last year's tournament are touring with England's senior sides this summer.

Harlequins centre Jordan Turner-Hall has forced his way into Johnno's first team squad and scrum half Joe Simpson (London Wasps), prop Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), full back Alex Goode (Saracens) and wing Noah Cato (Saracens) were all selected for the England Saxons trip to the Churchill Cup in Denver.

The next generation of Under 20s have arrived in Tokyo to kick off the JWC tournament against hosts Japan on Friday, June 5, with pool games to follow against Scotland on June 9 and Samoa on June 13 before the knockout stages take place on June 17 and 21.

Fourteen of the current squad have already appeared in the Guinness Premiership for their club sides, with the likes of Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby) and skipper Calum Clark (Leeds Carnegie) all enhancing their reputations this season.

"I'm sure that if there wasn't a Junior World Championship this summer that some would have come under serious consideration to tour, if not with the seniors against Argentina then certainly for the Saxons to the Churchill Cup," said coach Mark Mapletoft.

"As an organisation the RFU values how important this tournament is to see how good each player is against the best players in the world in their own age group.

"It's all well and good to say 'this guy's played in the Premiership, he's played in the EDF Energy Cup, he's got a championship medal in Europe' but let's see how good they are against the best players from the southern hemisphere.

"Can they do it on a foreign field, in the middle of June, in a steaming hot climate, in a different culture? If they can, their careers will accelerate. It's a massive opportunity to prove to themselves, to their clubs and to the senior England management that they can do it on the world stage."

There are six survivors from last year's tournament in the squad: captain Calum Clark, vice-captain Eves, Lawes, Youngs, hooker James Clark (London Irish), fly half Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons) and wing Charlie Sharples (Gloucester).

And their combination with players coming out of last year's unbeaten England Under 18 side makes former England fly half Mapletoft optimistic about the prospect of going one step further this year.

"The answer is yes, we can win it, and the players early in the season set themselves the target of going one better than last year," he said.

"It'll be a real challenge a long way from home and in a totally different environment and culture. They bring a lot of enthusiasm, ambition and experience, and yes we can, but whether we do depends on how we approach each game.

"We need players on the field who are going to put their hands up, take the ball forward, win the collisions, make good decisions at the key moments in matches.

"The players that we took last year are all integral parts of the group and they will bring that experience with them to Tokyo, plus there are guys who've had the experience of playing for their first teams in the Guinness Premiership, in the EDF Energy Cup in the Heineken Cup or the Challenge Cup.

"They've all been playing against physically more mature athletes, so when they're playing against their peer group they'll be able to bring that to their game.

"There's a lot of characters in the side, no question. There are guys who come on the back of successful domestic programmes are the guys rugby supporters are looking at.

"Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Tom Homer are ones who spring to mind who've been contesting the big finals over the last two or three weeks. But it's a 26-man effort. Playing five matches in effectively 17 days is a tough ask. It's a tremendous physical burden."

England Under 20 squad
Forwards (14)
Bob Baker (London Wasps)
Calum Clark (Leeds Carnegie)
James Clark (London Irish)
Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks)
James Gaskell (Sale Sharks)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
Shaun Knight (Gloucester Rugby)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs)
Josh Ovens (Bath Rugby)
Dan Williams (Gloucester Rugby)
Chris York (Harlequins)

Backs (12)
Rory Clegg (Newcastle Falcons)
Jack Cobden (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby)
Tom Homer London Irish)
Will Hurrell (Leicester Tigers)
Dave Lewis (Gloucester Rugby)
George Lowe (Harlequins)
Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons)
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
Greig Tonks (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Match schedule (with local timings)
June 5: England v Japan (Tokyo, 7pm)
June 9: England v Scotland (Tokyo, 5pm)
June 13: England v Samoa (Tokyo, 1pm)
June 17: Match Day Four
June 21: Finals Day

HARLEQUINS centre George Lowe has come from nowhere to win a place in the England Under 20 squad preparing for the start of the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship in Japan next week.


England Under 20 centre George Lowe

The 19-year-old wasn't even sure of a place in the first team on loan at Esher when the National League One campaign kicked off last September.

But he scored on his debut for them - touching down 14 tries in all - and added another three in three starts for England after a surprise call-up from Mark Mapletoft to take part in the RBS Under 20 Six Nations.

That's rapid progress for someone who hadn't appeared for any of England's age-group sides and whose previous experience was limited to playing for Epsom College and Surrey's Under 18s.

"He has great natural gifts and has shown amazing ability," said Esher coach Mike Schmid.

"He did exceptionally well in his first season out of school. I've been very impressed with the way he has progressed both on and off the pitch."

The progression saw him heading for Heathrow at short notice to catch the plane to Ireland where he scored a debut try in Athlone that was followed up by touchdowns against France and Scotland.

Lowe said: "I was down at Esher to try and get in the first team there and managed to do that and to play well for them.

"I didn't really figure in the Guinness A League for Harlequins but got the game time at Esher and a few injuries let me get into the Under 20s squad.

"We'd just played Leeds on the Sunday and I came back to the changing room and found (England coach) Mark Mapletoft had tried to phone me and (Harlequins Academy coach) Tony Diprose had texted me telling me to phone him.

"I was told I'd been picked for the Ireland squad and had to meet at Heathrow the next morning. It was a big surprise and I'd not known anything before about it. I scored three in three and, while I wouldn't say they were the best tries, I'll take them!"

The task now is to win a place in the side in Japan, where second seeds England hope to reach another final.

Before that, though, they need to beat Japan in the opening game on June 5, then see off Scotland and Samoa to reach the knockout stages.

"It's pretty exciting to have the chance to go to a World Cup and show what you can do," said Lowe.

"I think we've got 15 players who've played in the Premiership and we had eight of them missing during the Six Nations so if they all come back that's a big part of the team and should make a big impact.

"The first game is the tournament opener at a big stadium and I hope there's a big crowd. I'm guessing that the Japanese will make a big event of it, so I'm excited about that and really can't wait to get going."

LUKE EVES insists England's Under 20 team have the talent to reach another final at the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship in Japan.


England Under 20 centre Luke Eves

The Bristol centre is the most experienced member of the squad and one of seven survivors from the 2008 tournament in Wales, when England defeated Fiji, Canada, Australia and South Africa before being beaten 38-3 in the final by New Zealand.

Second-seeds England are based in Tokyo and face the host nation on June 5, Scotland on June 9 and Samoa on June 13 before the knockout stages on June 17 and 21.

"Having been involved last year I'm really excited although the challenge is a very different one," said Eves, the team's vice-captain. "We were only in Wales last year. This time we're going to the other side of the world.

"I expect the other sides to have raised the bar again and the southern hemisphere teams to be even better. The conditions and the climate will be something the other lads haven't experienced before either."

The RBS Under 20 Six Nations campaign was a difficult one as England went down in Ireland - to a drop-goal from the last kick of the match - and were well beaten by France.

England used 37 players during the Six Nations campaign with Guinness Premiership call-ups and injuries stopping them from generating much momentum.

But Eves - who led the side against France and Scotland - argues that they will continue improving to peak in the knockout stages of the Junior World Championship.

And getting the balance right in attack, with the experience of 14 Premiership starters in the squad, should accelerate their progress in the Far East.

"In terms of the players we've got, we've got an equally good chance of doing well," said Eves.

"It's hard to single out one to watch but we've got some great players in our back row, for example, where Courtney Lawes, Calum Clark and Carl Fearns have all got experience in the Premiership and then there's the likes of Graham Kitchener, who's made a big impact with Worcester, in the second row."

Elsewhere in the side wing Charlie Sharples and centre Henry Trinder have featured for Gloucester, both fly halves Rob Miller and Rory Clegg have started for Newcastle Falcons and scrum halves Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers) and Dave Lewis (Gloucester) have significant first team experience.

"We didn't have the greatest of Six Nations but we're a younger group and after the disappointment of our defeat against France, we talked about a lot of things and the changes we wanted to make and were able to put them into practice against Scotland," Eves added.

"We've improved steadily and we hope to hit our top form during the Junior World Championship and we'll play the way we always play.

"We aim to play an ambitious style with a high tempo, looking to score from first phase and move the ball. We let ourselves down in the Six Nations when we were a bit too ambitious at times. But we're going out to the tournament to get the balance right."

Having the maturity to spot what needs to change and how to change it on the field is something Eves brings to the team now he has a full season at the Memorial Ground under his belt, which saw him make 16 increasingly influential top-flight appearances.

"It's helped no end getting so much more Premiership experience with Bristol," he said.

"It's given me a lot more confidence and I think I've matured over the year. Last year I was one of the younger players with England; now I'm a senior player and vice-captain of the World Cup squad and it's my job to lead the way."

BIG-HITTER Courtney Lawes has made a major impact on his first season in the Guinness Premiership for Northampton Saints.


England Under 20 forward Courtney Lawes



Now the 20-year-old wants to take on the global elite in an England shirt at the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship in Japan.

Lawes arrived in the Far East yesterday for the tournament which kicks off on Friday, June 5, with England's opening game against the host nation in Tokyo.

An athletic 6ft 7in lock or flanker, who weighs in at more than 17st, he has the physical prowess to be a major force at this tournament and beyond - as demonstrated by his performance in the 15-3 European Challenge Cup final victory against Bourgoin.

As he has done all season, the youngest player on the field delivered some shuddering tackles - notably on scrum half Morgan Parra - but didn't lose his cool in the second half flare-ups between the sides.

"If you've got a bit of aggression you don't have to punch people, you can put in a big hit and that's what I like about the game," said Lawes.

"You shouldn't lose your head. It's about using your skills to benefit your team and to win. I enjoy being physical and I enjoy trying to lead whatever team I'm in by example. I hope I do that well in Japan."

England have plenty of physical power available to them in the pool games against Japan (June 5), Scotland (June 9) and Samoa (June 13) before the knockout stages take place on June 17 and 21.

They can deploy a forward pack that averages 6ft 4in and 17st 5lb per man. Lawes, fellow locks Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors) and James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), and back-rowers Calum Clark (Leeds Carnegie) and Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks) are among 14 players in the squad who have featured for their Premiership sides.

Lawes added: "The squad we've got going is a very good one. In the forwards there are lads like Graham Kitchener, another big lad who's very physical, and Calum Clark, Carl Fearns. They're all big boys and I'm looking forward to being alongside them.

"Personally it's about seeing how I measure up against the other players in the world and hopefully prove I'm one of the best at my age. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Lawes, Northampton born and bred, went to last year's Junior World Championship despite not having appeared in the 2008 Under 20 Six Nations.

He made only one appearance - in a big win against Canada at Newport - but impressed everyone with his work in training and the speed of his development, which accelerated once he got back to Franklin's Gardens.

He forced his way into the Saints squad playing in the second row or at blind side flanker with a series of mature performances that belied his years.

In all he made 10 appearances in the Guinness Premiership and another 11 in the European Challenge Cup and EDF Energy Cup, returning to the international game with an impressive first start at blind side in the 17-0 win over Italy in February.

"I didn't expect to do this well this year and get as many first team appearances as I did, but I've worked hard all the time and I suppose it paid off," added Lawes.

"My performances throughout the season and keeping my place in the Saints squad has helped me stay in this England squad, even though I haven't been able to play for England that much.

"Keeping my place in the squad was important to me and now I'm very much looking forward to this tournament in Japan and hopefully doing well.

"Last year was very good. I didn't really expect to go to the World Cup last year because of all the injuries I'd had and I only played one game against Canada, which was disappointing.

"I didn't take it personally, I just kept on going. I knew I'd go back in pre-season and work hard and I'll do the same after this World Cup and do the same next year. I've enjoyed it."

Friday June 5, 2009

ENGLAND are up and running at the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship after scoring six tries in treacherous conditions in their opening game.

The second seeds started the campaign with a 43-0 win over Japan in steady rain at the Prince Chichibu Stadium in Tokyo.

They played the bulk of the second half with 14 men after prop Joe Marler was sent off for allegedly striking an opponent - and 10 minutes with 13 after Wasps prop Bob Baker was sin-binned.

But coach Mark Mapletoft took plenty of positives out of a must-win opening game against a passionate home side in front of a partisan 9,120 crowd.

Harlequins wing George Lowe scored his fourth try in four appearances at this level with Luke Eves, Chris York, Carl Fearns, Josh Ovens and Courtney Laws also touching down. Kicker Tom Homer added 13 more points.

"Six tries in those conditions represents a pretty good start and to keep the opposition scoreless is pleasing," said Mapletoft.

"The conditions did made me feel sorry for them. It had been hosing down all day and they did remarkably well playing the hosts first up in a competition half way round the world.

"I was a little bit disappointed with our discipline and that's something we need to work on ahead of the other games. We can't give away penalties against better teams

"That said we scrambled well in defence after missing a few first half tackles and credit to Japan - they really tested us and broke our defensive line a few times.

"We worked hard on trying to have that cutting edge in attack, with quick ball and looking to hit runners in space and overall I thought we showed a lot of ambition."

England scored from all over the pitch, Ovens and York finishing off patient attacks, Fearns barging over off the back of a scrum and Lowe finishing off an 80-metre counterattack.

Eves's first-half effort was arguably the pick of the bunch, a pre-planned move from first phase ball with his teammates pulling the Japanese defence out of position to create the opening.

"It's always tough to play with 14 men but I think we managed to control the ball well and to keep the score at nil was a great achievement," said Eves, leading the side in the absence of Calum Clark.

"The major difference in the scoreline is that we stuck to our plays and when we had the ball we didn't force the passes. Overall we're delighted with the win against a Japan side who defended brilliantly at times."

England face Scotland - beaten 17-14 by Samoa earlier today - in their second Pool B game on Tuesday, June 9 (9am BST).

Then they take on Samoa on June 13 (5am BST) before the knock-out stages on June 17 and 21.

All the other seeded sides made impressive opening statements in three other pools. Holders New Zealand overwhelmed Uruguay 75-0, South Africa beat Fiji 36-10 and Wales outscored Tonga 51-5.

Pool A: Argentina 9 Ireland 16, New Zealand 75 Uruguay 0.
Pool B: Samoa 17 Scotland 14, England 43 Japan 0.
Pool C: France 43 Italy 13, Fiji 10 South Africa 36.
Pool D: Australia 86 Canada 0, Tonga 5 Wales 51.

Decent performance.

I thought Fearns, Youngs, Eves, Lowe & Homer had good games.

You can watch the whole game on the IRB site.

You can also watch a replay of the Scotland/Samoa game which was a close one. I think Scotland were the slightly better side but didn't capitalise on their possession.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:06:05:22:30:58 by Slater582.