Three players from North Midlands clubs have been included in the England Deaf squad for their international against Wales Deaf at Moseley’s Billesley Common Ground on Sunday April 12 (2.30pm).
Oswestry wing Adam Faulkner has been named in the starting XV with his club-mate Richard McFie and Dudley Kingswinford hooker Tom Cowdale among the replacements.
England have included four new caps in their squad as they attempt to halt a run of three successive defeats by Wales and reclaim the Broadstreet Cup.
Faulkner, McFie and Cowdale were all on duty at Cardiff Arms Park in January when England produced a much-improved display but were still beaten by a well-drilled Wales team.
England Deaf
15 Guy Lavery (unattached); 14 Adam Faulkner (Oswestry), 13 Cameron Roberts (Hartpury College), 12 Ben Jordan (Penryn), 11 Callum Gill (Exeter College); 10 Tom Bridgeman (Kettering), 9 Oli Fountain (Hitchin); 1 Matt Madsen (Cannock), 2 Ollie Evans (Lydney), 3 Joshua Sprules (Bletchley), 4 Jake O’Leary (Henley Hawks), 5 Kris Mannering (Guildford), 6 Paul Lawrence (Okehampton), 7 Luke Cheyne (Barkers’ Butts – captain), 8 Aaaron Beesley (Hove).
Replacements: Tom Cowdale (Dudley Kingswinford), Richard McFie (Oswestry), Paul Cooper (Thurrock), Ryan Arbon (Hitchin), Ben Trevaskis (Penryn), Daniel Rowland (Pendle Phoenix), Sam Scadeng (Sutton Coldfield), Max Thorne (Dunstablians).