Chiefs quartet to start JWC Final
By Mark Stevens
England Under-20s have named four Exeter Chiefs players in their side to take on Wales in the final of the IRB Junior World Championship in Vannes, France, on Sunday June 22, kick-off 17.45 (GMT), live on Sky Sports 2.
Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Hill, Jack Nowell and Henry Slade will again start for England, who show two-changes from the side that beat New Zealand 33-21 in the semi-final. Leicester’s Tom Price comes in for the injured Elliott Stooke and London Wasps prop Alec Hepburn replaces Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi who drops to the bench.
The meeting is the first all northern hemisphere final in JWC history, and the two sides last met back in March, when England won the Under-20s Six Nations in Colwyn Bay, beating Wales 28-15.
Head Coach Nick Walshe says that Sunday’s meeting will be a completely different beast though: “Wales are an excellent side – as they have shown throughout this competition and we’re fully aware that it’s going to be a tough game. We did well in the Six Nations to win at their place, but that game will have no bearing on the result.
“We have prepared well, we have recovered well after the New Zealand game – and we’re ready for what promises to be an excellent final.”
England Under-20 starting XV to play Wales
15 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
13 Harry Sloan (Harlequins)
12 Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
11 Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors)
10 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
9 Alex Day (Northampton Saints)
1 Alec Hepburn (London Wasps)
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
3 Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
4 Tom Price (Leicester Tigers)
5 Dominic Barrow (Leeds Carnegie)
6 Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby)
7 Matt Hankin (Saracens)
8 Jack Clifford (Harlequins capt)
Replacements:
16 Scott Spurling (Saracens)
17 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
18 Tom Smallbone (London Irish)
19 Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers)
20 David Sisi (Bath Rugby)
21 Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)
22 Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
23 Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers)