Three Chiefs Selected for England U19's Japan Fixture

Three Exeter Chiefs Academy players - Josh Mann, George Newman and Israel Akinrowo - have been selected in the England U19 squad to face Japan this weekend.

Head coach Andy Titterrell has confirmed the England side to face Japan U19 this Saturday at Cambridge Rugby’s Ellgia Fields (14:00 GMT kick-off).

As well as key backroom staff from across the England Rugby Men’s Pathway, Titterrell will be further supported by U18 Men’s coaches Jonathan Pendlebury and Will Parkin to lead on defence and attack respectively. Former Wasps hooker and Springboks international Ashley Johnson will conduct scrum coaching for the fixture.

Sale Sharks back-row forward Seb Kelly will captain the England U19 Men’s team this weekend. 19-year-old Kelly has four England U18 caps to his name and made his first four senior appearances for Sharks in the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup. The Kirkham Grammar School graduate also boasts loan experience with Sale FC and Lymm RFC in National 1 and National 2 North respectively this year.

Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks) alongside Northampton Saints’ Oli Scola and Aiden Ainsworth-Cave have been capped in the recent U20 Men’s Six Nations campaign, with U20 EPS members Kelly, Toby Wilson (Sale Sharks) and Josh Mann (Exeter Chiefs) also named in the matchday squad. Nine of the starting XV gained training experience with the U20s in recent months.

Sean Sharp (Harlequins), Rhys Beeckmans (Newcastle Falcons), Jack Cotgreave (Gloucester Rugby) and Luke Griffiths (CA Brive) are in line for their first Men’s Pathway caps this Saturday. Saracens’ Gabriel Registe and Will Knight of Gloucester Rugby could also earn their first pathway caps off the replacements bench.

Knight is one of four 2025 U18 Men’s Six Nations squad members given the opportunity for further representative experience ahead of April’s Festival meeting in Vichy, France. Elliot Williams (Harlequins), George Marsh (Leicester Tigers) and James Pater (Northampton Saints) could also play a part as Titterrell’s finishers in Cambridge.

On their tour of England, Japan U19 overcame Oxford University Select XV 45-14 at Iffley Road on Thursday 13th March before a defeat at Dartford Valley RFC to Saracens U19s, finishing 38-12 in favour of the Premiership Rugby academy this Monday.

Andy Titterrell said: “We have assembled a very exciting, young group for Saturday’s game that will give a platform to evolve players’ skillsets ahead of another key period of development this summer.

“To be joined by Jon [Pendlebury], Will [Parkin] and all our pathway staff has been a fulfilling experience, a brilliant opportunity to further align and a reminder of the quality we possess on and off the field in the pathway. A warm welcome must be extended to Ashley [Johnson], whose expertise has been invaluable in preparation for this weekend.

“Following on from the U20 Six Nations period it’s imperative to open another window for progression and growth for our players, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity in Cambridge.”

England U19:

15 Sean Sharp (Harlequins, Old Alleynians RFC)

14 Noah Caluori (Saracens, Blackheath Rugby)

13 Rhys Beeckmans (Newcastle Falcons, Blaydon Rugby Club)

12 Toby Wilson (Sale Sharks, Macclesfield RUFC)

11 Jack Cotgreave (Gloucester Rugby, Bideford RFC)

10 Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks, Macclesfield RUFC, 2 caps)

9 Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens, Old Albanians)

1 Oli Scola (Northampton Saints, Old Northamptonians RFC, 4 caps)

2 Kieran Hill (Bristol Bears, North Petherton RFC)

3 Sam Graham (Durham University, Durham City Rugby Football Club)

4 Luke Griffiths (CA Brive, Farnham Rugby Club)

5 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints, Bedford Junior Blues, 4 caps)

6 Patrick Hogg (Newcastle Falcons, Blaydon Rugby Club)

7 Seb Kelly (C) (Sale Sharks, Rochdale RUFC)

8 Olly Allport (Gloucester Rugby, Stow-on-the-Wold RFC)

Replacements

16 Tom Davis (Sale Sharks, Firwood Waterloo RFC)

17 Josh Mann (Exeter Chiefs, Penzance and Newlyn RFC)

18 Gabriel Registe (Saracens, Campion RFC)

19 Jonno Balding (Gloucester Rugby, Overton RFC)

20 Elliot Williams (Harlequins, London Irish Amateurs)

21 George Marsh (Leicester Tigers, Holt RFC)

22 George Newman (Exeter Chiefs, Truro RFC)

23 James Linegar (Bath Rugby, Chippenham RFC)

24 Israel Akinrowo (Exeter Chiefs, Devenport Services RFC)

25 Will Knight (Gloucester Rugby, Longlevens RFC)

26 James Pater (Northampton Saints, Shelford RFC)