Preview: England U20s vs Fiji U20s

June 29, 2023
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Ultimate Rugby

The final match of match-day two (kick-off 19:00 local time) puts England against Fiji with both teams in need of a victory to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.

England coach Mark Mapletoft has rolled the dice for the match at Danie Craven Stadium, with only two players – Finn Carnduff, who assumes the captaincy, and Connor Slevin – retaining their place in a starting line-up boasting five debutants.

“We were really pleased with the things the team did well in our game against Ireland on Saturday, particularly with how we built upon our performances from the Six Nations,” Mapletoft said.

“We’ve taken learnings on board from the match and have now shifted our attention to Fiji, who gave the Australians a real crack in their tournament opener.

“With only a five-day turnaround between fixtures, our players have prioritised their recovery well. We’ve named a number of debutants for Thursday’s match, so congratulations to those five lads and all others selected.”

Fiji’s only change comes in the back-three where Manieta Navonovono is handed the number 11 jersey and Bronson Lee shifts to the right wing.

England Team

15. Louie Johnson (Newcastle Falcons)
14. Jacob Cusick (Leicester Tigers
13. Joe Jenkins (Bristol Bears)
12. Toby Thame* (Northampton Saints)
11. Alex Wills* (Sale Sharks)
10. Connor Slevin (Harlequins)
9. Nye Thomas (Sale Sharks)
1. Archie McArthur (Gloucester)
2. Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins)
3. James Halliwell (Bristol Bears)
4. Finn Carnduff (Captain, Leicester Tigers)
5. Harry Browne (Harlequins)
6. Nathan Michelow (Saracens)
7. Tristan Woodman (Sale Sharks)
8. Zach Carr* (Harlequins)

Replacements

16. Craig Wright* (Northampton Saints)
17. Ethan Clarke* (Harlequins)
18. Afolabi Fasogbon
19. Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
20. Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
21. Charlie Bracken (Saracens)
22. Cassius Cleaves (Harlequins)
23. Tobias Elliott (Saracens)

*Denotes England U20 debut

Fiji Team

Head Coach Ifereimi Rawaqa said “They have had a good review of the game against the Junior Wallabies and have rectified their areas which needed improvements.

He said “We know we had the game in our hand but lost it in the final quarter and that’s something we are working towards and I believe we are ready for some good rugby against England”