Quintet in England U-20s squad

By Mark Stevens

Five Exeter Chiefs players will form part of England's 28-man squad squad ahead of their IRB Junior World Championship campaign in France, which kicks off with a game against their French hosts on June 5.

With former head coach Rob Hunter having recently joined the Chiefs on a full-time basis, England will be under the guidance of coaches Nick Walshe and Ian Peel for the tournament.

Having recently helped England to the retain their Six Nations title for a third successive season, Chiefs quintet Joel Conlon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Hill, Jack Nowell (pictured) and Henry Slade will be hoping to make their mark in the pool stages against France, title-holders South Africa and the USA, who are competing in the JWC for the first time in five years.

The travelling squad contains players with a huge amount of Aviva Premiership, A-League and RFU Championship experience, whilst Head Coach Walshe is pleased with the players at his disposal as they look to move on from last season’s seventh-place finish.

He said: “We enjoyed a good Six Nations and on the back of that, competition for places has been high and some good players have missed out. However, we’re very pleased with the 28 selected. The games come thick and fast in this tournament, we’ve got a very tough group but we’re excited by that challenge.

"All our attention is on that first game against the French, we did well against them in the Six Nations but this will be a totally different game. It’s one we’re looking forward to.”

Forwards

Dom Barrow (Leeds Carnegie)*
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)*
Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)*
Matt Hankin (Saracens)
Alec Hepburn (London Wasps)*
Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby)
Nathan Morris (London Wasps)*
Tom Price (Leicester Tigers)
David Sisi (London Irish)*
Tom Smallbone (London Irish)
Scott Spurling (Saracens)
Elliott Stooke (Gloucester Rugby)
Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers)
Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)

Backs

Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)
Alex Day (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)*
Will Hooley (Northampton Saints)
Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors)
Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)*
Harry Sloan (Harlequins)
Tom Stephenson (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (London Irish)

* Played in 2012 IRB Junior World Championship