Bailey named in England U20s side to face Bath United

Exeter Chiefs' Joe Bailey has been named in the England U20s squad to face Bath United this weekend.

Mark Mapletoft and Andy Titterrell have selected their first England U20 Men’s matchday squad of the 2023/24 season as their side prepares for the challenge of Bath United this Saturday (6 January, 2pm kick-off).

In preparation for the upcoming 2024 U20 Six Nations, the U20 Men encounter an academy-focused Bath outfit led by head academy coach Andy Robinson at the home of Dings Crusaders, Shaftesbury Park.

Entry to see the first meeting between Bath United and the pathway team is free and available on a first come, first served basis this weekend.

Saracens back-row forward Nathan Michelow has been awarded the captaincy for the friendly match in Bristol and will lead the 26-man travelling party onto the pitch of the National 2 West club.

Michelow, who played in all five 2023 U20 World Championship fixtures last summer, is complemented with eight more capped U20 players in the makeup of the team.

Forwards Craig Wright and Joe Bailey, centre pairing Ben Waghorn and Toby Cousins, wing Alex Wills, as well as replacements James Halliwell, Finn Carnduff and Zach Carr, will seek to impart their experience on the newly-introduced members of the U20 pathway.

Head coach Mapletoft and assistant coach Titterrell also welcome non-EPS members to the fold for this weekend’s action; Bath Rugby hooker Scott Kirk, scrum halves Ben Douglas (Newcastle Falcons) and Max Blinkhorn (Nottingham University), Junior Kpoku of Racing 92 and Newcastle centre, Ollie Spencer.

The U20 EPS for 2024 travelled abroad for a maiden warm-weather training camp at Browns Sports Resort in Portugal last month before three days of gym sessions, unit work and on-field training at Bisham Abbey this week.

Nathan Catt also links up with the coaching staff for his first matchday since joining the RFU as the designated pathway scrum coach, facing his former club where he headed up the club’s academy line from Beechen Cliff to The Recreation Ground.

The U20 Men took on Loughborough University and Oxford University in preparation for the 2023 U20 Six Nations and continue the tradition with a rematch with the former next Saturday (13 January, tickets available here) before their first Six Nations tie with Italy on 2 February.

England U20 Men’s head coach Mark Mapletoft said: “It’s been a real pleasure to bring this new cohort together over the last week, the boys have showcased a real intent on proving themselves in a game capacity for the first time.

“Our training regime has reflected the intensity we want to arrive with in Saturday’s game with Bath. We know Bath’s capabilities in producing some of the country’s best talent, so this weekend’s meeting is a suitable one for our boys.

“Myself, Andy and the rest of the coaching staff expect a really competitive 80 minutes at Shaftesbury Park. The boys are aware that the U20 Six Nations awaits in a few weeks, but our focus remains on attaining a positive performance on Saturday afternoon.”

A ticket bundle for England U20 Men’s home U20 Six Nations fixtures at The Rec against Wales and Ireland can be purchased here.

England U20 Men's side to face Bath United

1 Cameron Miell (Leicester Tigers)

2 Craig Wright (Northampton Saints) *

3 Billy Sela (Bath Rugby)

4 Olamide Sodeke (Saracens)

5 Joe Bailey (Exeter Chiefs) *

6 Nathan Michelow (C) (Saracens) *

7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

8 Lucas Schmid (Harlequins)

9 Ben Douglas (Newcastle Falcons)

10 Rory Taylor (Gloucester Rugby)

11 Sean Kerr (Harlequins)

12 Ben Waghorn (Harlequins) *

13 Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints) *

14 Alex Wills (Sale Sharks) *

15 Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons)

Replacements

16 Scott Kirk (Bath Rugby)

17 Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons)

18 James Halliwell (Bristol Bears) *

19 Junior Kpoku (Racing 92)

20 Finn Carnduff (Leicester Tigers) *

21 Zach Carr (Harlequins) *

22 Max Blinkhorn (Nottingham University)

23 Josh Bellamy (Harlequins)

24 Ollie Spencer (Newcastle Falcons)

25 Will Glister (Northampton Saints)

26 Ioan Jones (Gloucester Rugby)