North Midlands Under-18s have named nine newcomers in their side for their opening match of the season against Warwickshire at Stourbridge’s Stourton Park on Wednesday October 8 (7.30pm).
Six of the newcomers are in the back division where only scrum-half Tom Grieves played last season. Hooker Dominic Deacon, lock Jack Ward and blindside flanker Ethan Channer are the debutants in the pack.
North Midlands, who will play their second match against Staffordshire at Walsall on October 22, again have to cope with unavailability with six players ruled out of the Warwickshire match because of AASE League commitments.
North Midlands Under-18s:
15 Tom Waller (Malvern College and Worcestershire); 14 Rob Leighton (Ellesmere College and Shropshire), 13 Tom Neal (Hereford Sixth Form College and Herefordshire), 12 Jack Furnival (Ellesmere College and Shropshire), 11 Eduardo Scalvi (Ellesmere College and Shropshire); 10 Tom Benjamin (Ellesmere College and Shropshire), 9 Tom Grieves (Ellesmere College and Shropshire); 1 James Page (Malvern College and Worcestershire), 2 Dominic Deacon (Hartpury College and Herefordshire), 3 Charlie Robinson (Bromsgrove School and Worcestershire – captain), 4 Jack Ward (Birmingham Met College and Greater Birmingham), 5 Austin Allison (Bromsgrove School and Worcestershire), 6 Ethan Channer (Birmingham Met College and Greater Birmingham), 7 Math Kinney (Ellesmere College and Shropshire), 8 Piers Morrell (Malvern College and Worcestershire). Replacements: Julius Hunt (Birmingham Met College and Greater Birmingham), Edward Mence (Hereford Cathedral School and Herefordshire), Charlie Hill (Total People School and Shropshire), Ben Shimwell (Kings School Worcester and Worcestershire), Sam Boxhall (Hartpury College and Herefordshire), Josh Winfield (Kidderminster Carolians and Worcestershire), Sam Prestwich (Hereford Cathedral School and Herefordshire).