Tag: #Salefc

Connor Doherty to face the Junior Springboks

England U20’s select Connor Doherty to face the Junior Springboks in Coventry.

Connor Doherty of England U20 poses for a headshot during a Development Camp at Bisham Abbey – Rogan/JMP – 06/01/2019 – Bisham Abbey – Marlow, England.

Tomorrow Evening (Friday 26th April) England U20’s are playing the Junior Springboks at the Butts Arena, home of Coventry Rugby, Kick Off is 7.30pm and is being streamed live on EnglandRugby.com.

The game against the Junior Springboks will serve as a vital test for the U20’s squad before the U20’s World Championships commence in June this year in Argentina.

Amongst the squad selected by Head Coach Steve Bates, is Sale Sharks Academy and Sale FC player Connor Doherty, who played a part earlier this season in the U20’s Six Nations campaign. Connor is also joined by Sharks Academy team mate Gus Warr.

This game is the second successive fixture against the Junior Springboks as the last one in 2018 took place at Worcester Warrior’s Sixways Stadium, once again as vital preparation for the U20’s World Championships.

When discussing the game’s importance, Head Coach Steve Bates said
“Last year’s match against South Africa was an important match in that it highlighted areas we needed to tighten before we played our first fixture at the Championship in France, while it also gave us an opportunity to play against one of the main contenders for the tournament. We learned a lot about their physicality and how they played and it proved to be a real eye opener for the squad as to what to expect from one of the southern hemisphere nations.”

The squad selected for the game is as follows:

15. Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons), 14. Charlie Powell (Bristol Bears), 13. Sam Spink (Wasps), 12. Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks), 11. Jake Morris (Gloucester Rugby), 10. Manu Vunipola (Saracens), 9. Gus Warr (Sale Sharks), 1. Olly Adkins (Gloucester Rugby), 2. Alfie Barbeary (Wasps) – Bloxham School, 3. Marcus Street (Exeter Chiefs), 4. Joel Kpoku (Saracens), 5. James Scott (Worcester Warriors), 6. Tom Willis (Wasps) – Captain, 7. Andy Christie (Saracens), 8. Rusiate Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)

Replacements 16. Kai Owen (Worcester Warriors), 17. Ben Atkins (London Irish), 18. Alfie Petch (Exeter Chiefs), 19. Jon Kpoku (Saracens), 20. Izaiha Moore-Aiono (London Irish), 21. Ollie Fox (Yorkshire Carnegie), 22. Will Haydon-Wood (Newcastle Falcons), 23. Jack Reeves (Gloucester Rugby)