Former North Midlands Under-18 pair Huw Taylor and Andrew Kitchener have been included in the England squad for their opening match of the World Rugby U20 Championship against Italy at the Manchester City Academy Stadium tonight (7.45pm).
The Worcester Warriors locks were both regulars during the Six Nations Under-20 Championship and have been included in England’s starting line-up for the opener.
“Training has been fantastic,” said England Head Coach Martin Haag. “The boys have really bought into what we are trying to achieve on the field but I’m also really pleased with how they are gelling as a squad off it.
“When you come together with players and staff from all different rugby backgrounds it can sometimes be hard to gel quickly but we have a real sense of togetherness and an incredible team spirit. I’m delighted with how the first couple of days have gone but the real test is how we perform in games and the squad can’t wait to get started.”
England face Italy, Scotland and Australia in the pool stages but have kept the focus on themselves and their identity in how they want to play.
“We have done our analysis on Italy but the priority in training has been what we can do as a team, how we constantly improve and drive standards,” Haag said.
“We want our play to have its own identity and have concentrated on that. We know that Italy are going to be stronger than they were in the Six Nations and will pose us some real questions but we are also looking forward to reacting to the opportunities we get through both attack and defence.
“We have three tough games and want to start well in the tournament so have selected on form and fitness as we manage players over what will be a demanding few weeks. When you watch the training levels and see the intensity it is incredibly competitive, which is what we want, and there are a number of young guys who will benefit from having this playing opportunity early in the tournament.”