Two Chiefs in England U19 Side to Face France

Exeter Chiefs' centre Nick Lilley and prop Josh Mann have been included in the England U19 side to face France this weekend.

Head coach Andy Titterrell has named his England U19 Men’s squad to travel to La Roche-sur-Yon to face France this Saturday (19th, 18:00 BST kick-off).

Supported by U20 Men’s coaching and backroom staff, Titterrell’s side face Les Bleuets at Stade Henri Desgrange for their second fixture of the year following on from a 52-47 home victory over Japan U19 in March.

Former U18 Men’s captain Connor Treacey (Bath Rugby) will lead his country at U19 level for the first time after earning his first three U20 caps in the recent Six Nations campaign.

Treacey is one of three changes to the pack that defeated Japan, also including George Knowles (Gloucester Rugby) and Sonny Tonga’uiha (Northampton Saints). Patrick Hogg (Newcastle Falcons) and Seb Kelly (Sale Sharks) accompany the captain in a back-row that started in England U18 Men’s Six Nations win over Georgia a year and a week ago.

Capped U20 Men’s players Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs) and Tyler Offiah (Bath Rugby) slot into the backline alongside previous U19 representative, Harlequins’ Conor Byrne. Noah Caluori of Saracens, who scored a hattrick against Japan in Cambridge, is also involved.

Player of the match at Ellgia Fields, Sean Sharp (Harlequins), will seek to make an impact from a replacements bench that includes seven players in line for their first involvements at U19 level.

The U19 Men side serves as an avenue for England Rugby pathway players to develop their skillsets with meaningful gametime on the international circuit, with fixtures also giving valuable minutes to players then eligible for U20 selection in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.

Andy Titterrell said: “After a positive outing against Japan, we’re excited to reassemble and further instil our playing philosophy with an impressive group of players.

“Our spring fixtures are a crucial window for exploration and adaptation in our ranks, with our squad already showcasing their impressive talents for club and country ahead of a busy summer period for the U20 age-grade.

“This Saturday is a perfect test for the group to come together and show that unity as a brotherhood in a challenging environment against a high calibre of pathway players.”

England U19:

15 Conor Byrne (Harlequins, Old Wimbledonians RFC)

14 Noah Caluori (Saracens, Blackheath Rugby)

13 Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge RFC, 4 caps)

12 Rhys Beeckmans (Newcastle Falcons, Blaydon Rugby Club)

11 Tyler Offiah (Bath Rugby, Ealing Trailfinders, 1 cap)

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 George Knowles (Gloucester Rugby, Ledbury Rugby Club)

3 Sonny Tonga’uiha (Northampton Saints, Old Northamptonians RFC)

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 (Sale Sharks, Rochdale RUFC)

8 Connor Treacey (Bath Rugby, New Milton Rugby Club, 3 caps)

Replacements:

16 Jimmy Staples (Harlequins, Worthing Rugby Club)

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

18 Ollie Streeter (Harlequins, Haywards Heath RFC)

19 Charlie Barker (Saracens, Canterbury Rugby Club)

20 Ethan Surrey (Bristol Bears, Barkers Butts RFC)

21 Olly Allport (Gloucester Rugby, Stow-on-the-wold & District RFC)

22 Charlie Bemand (Leicester Tigers, Luctonians RFC)

23 James Linegar (Bath Rugby, Chippenham RFC)

24 Sam Winters (Bath Rugby, Henley Hawks)

25 Sean Sharp (Harlequins, Old Alleynians RFC)

26 Kieran Hill (Bristol Bears, North Petherton RFC)