Three Saracens selected for England U20 Duty
Jack Bracken, Olamide Sodeke and Reggie Hammick will all represented England this weekend for the U20 side against Championship team Cambridge Rugby.
In what is the first of two warm-up games for the group, ahead of the U20 Six Nations, Hammick could pick up his first England U20 honours off the bench against Cambridge. After making his Premiership debut for the club last weekend, Sodeke will turn out for Mark Mapletoft's squad among the replacements, with Bracken starting on the right wing making his sixth U20 appearance.
Sale Sharks lock Tom Burrow has been selected to captain the side in the uncapped match following on from leading the U19 Men’s team in their 2024 fixtures. 19-year-old Burrow has made his Premiership debut for Sharks this term as well as spending time on loan at Caldy RFC.
2024 World Rugby U20 Championship winners Ben Coen and Kane James als0 return to action in the matchday XV under Mapletoft’s lead.
Further experience arrives off the replacements bench in the form of Vilikesa Sela, as well as Harlequins’ half-back pairing Lucas Friday and Josh Bellamy in a 27-strong squad in Cambridgeshire. U20 EPS member and Northampton Saints’ Oli Scola also makes the bench after gaining loan experience with Cambridge in recent weeks.
Mark Mapletoft said: “19 members of the squad are set to take their first step on their journey with us in the U20s, and that has shown in the energy around the recent camps. It has been very encouraging for the staff.
“Cambridge presents an exciting and suitable challenge for our boys in the lead up to the Six Nations, with many of our players experiencing valuable game time in the Championship in the last few months.
“As a collective we’re continuing to build on our principle of ownership in our first playing opportunity since the summer. As ever; enjoyment, speed and relentlessness will underpin our playing values ahead of what will be an instrumental few months for this team’s development.”
England U20 Men team to face Cambridge Rugby (includes current club, community club and U20 caps)
15 Jack Kinder (Leicester Tigers, Silhillians RUFC, uncapped)
14 Jack Bracken (Saracens, Barnet Elizabethans, 5 caps)
13 Jeremy Tuima (Provence, Ivybridge College Rugby, uncapped)
12 Nic Allison (Exeter Chiefs, Bishops Diocesan College, uncapped)
11 Charlie Griffin (Bath Rugby, Rosslyn Park, uncapped)
10 Ben Coen (Exeter Chiefs, Teignmouth RFC, 5 caps)
9 Dom Hanson (Sale Sharks, Stockport RFC, uncapped)
1 Ralph McEachran (Sale Sharks, Guildford RFC, uncapped)
2 Louie Gulley (Exeter Chiefs, Crediton RFC, uncapped)
3 Tye Raymont (Sale Sharks, West Park Leeds RFC, uncapped)
4 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints, Bedford Junior Blues, uncapped)
5 Tom Burrow (c) (Sale Sharks, Morley RUFC, uncapped)
6 George Timmins (Bath Rugby, Market Harborough RUFC, 2 caps)
7 Sam Williams (Leicester Tigers, Nottingham Corsairs RFC, uncapped)
8 Kane James (Exeter Chiefs, St. Peter’s RFC, 9 caps)
Replacements
16 Oli Scola (Northampton Saints, Old Northamptonians RFC, uncapped)
17 Jimmy Staples (Harlequins, Worthing RFC, uncapped)
18 Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby, Cwmbran RFC, uncapped)
19 Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby, Royal Wootton Bassett RFC, 9 caps)
20 Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, Blackheath Rugby Club, 11 caps)
21 Jos Gilmore (Sale Sharks, Sandbach RUFC, uncapped)
22 Reggie Hammick (Saracens, Saints Rugby Peregian, uncapped)
23 Lucas Friday (Harlequins, Bromley RFC, 6 caps)
24 Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks, Macclesfield Rugby Club, uncapped)
25 Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge RFC, uncapped)
26 Campbell Ridl (Exeter Chiefs, Sharks, uncapped)
27 Josh Bellamy (Harlequins, Rosslyn Park, 10 caps)
