Conlon included for JWC Final

Exeter Chiefs forward Joel Conlon has been named on the bench for defending champions England Under-20s when they take on South Africa in the final of the IRB Junior World Championship tomorrow at Eden Park, kick-off 8.35am live on Sky Sports.

Coaches Nick Walshe, Ian Peel, Simon Hardy and Jon Callard have kept the same starting fifteen that defeated Ireland 42-15 in the semi-final, but there’s one change on the bench which sees prop Biyi Alo come in for Harry Rudkin. Lock Maro Itoje will captain the side, with tour captain Callum Braley on the bench.

Conlon, who was one of five Exeter Chiefs players to feature for England in last year's winning squad, are competing in their third final in four years, and will be out to defend the title they secured in France last season, beating Wales 23-15.

Head Coach Walshe said: “This is a great opportunity for our guys – they have been excellent all trip and have fully deserved to get to where they are.

“South Africa will be a difficult challenge, but we’re focusing on ourselves – we’re putting a real emphasis on performing for the full 80 minutes, we feel that we have played well in patches throughout the tournament but we want to see a complete performance.”

England Under-20s starting XV against South Africa

15 Aaron Morris (Bedford Blues)
14 Howard Packman (Northampton Saints)
13 Nick Tompkins (Saracens)
12 Harry Sloan (Harlequins)
11 Nathan Earle (Saracens)
10 Billy Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
9 Henry Taylor (Loughborough University)
1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
2 Tom Woolstencroft (Bath Rugby)
3 Paul Hill (Leeds Carnegie)
4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, captain)
5 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
6 Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby)
7 Gus Jones (London Wasps)
8 James Chisholm (Harlequins)

Replacements:

16 Jack Walker (Leeds Carnegie)
17 Alex Lundberg (London Wasps)
18 Biyi Alo (Saracens)
19 Hayden Thompson-Stringer (Saracens)
20 Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs)
21 Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)
22 Sam Olver (Northampton Saints)
23 Henry Purdy (Leicester Rugby)