England Men’s A head coach Mark Mapletoft has named four Sharks in a 26-player matchweek squad for Friday’s fixture against an Ireland XV (KO 7.15pm, Friday 6th February Thomond Park).
Ben Bamber, Raffi Quirke, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Joe Carpenter will all assemble at The Lensbury Hotel, Teddington this Sunday for a five-day training camp before departing for Ireland.
The fixture represents a key opportunity for a talented group of players to continue their progression within the England A’s, with the squad featuring a strong blend of senior experience, PREM Rugby consistency and emerging potential.
Alex Dombrandt, Ethan Roots, Jamie Blamire, Carpenter, Luke Northmore, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Charlie Atkinson, Quirke and Harry Randall are the nine previously-capped senior players involved in Mapletoft’s squad.
Alongside Dombrandt and Quirke, Orlando Bailey, Paul Brown-Bampoe, Zach Carr, Will Hobson, Luke Northmore, Billy Searle, Will Wand are in line for their first matchday involvements for the A side.
Eighteen of the selected matchweek 26 squad have progressed from the England Rugby Men’s Pathway, with caps for the U18 Men’s or U20 Men’s sides.
“This is a really exciting England A group and there’s a lot of talent in this squad that we’re looking forward to seeing express itself on the pitch. These players have earned their selection through strong performances at club level, and this fixture gives them the chance to test themselves in a high intensity environment and show what they’re capable of.” said Mapletoft, England Men’s A head coach.
“There’s a strong balance of experience and emerging potential across the squad, and that competition for places is exactly what we want within the A side. Matches like this are about pushing standards, building confidence and giving players the platform to take the next step in their England journey. There’s real anticipation around this game and we’re excited to see how this group develops together.”
The fixture will be broadcast live on Premier Sports, with coverage from Thomond Park starting at 19:00 GMT
England Men’s A matchweek squad to face Ireland XV (includes current club, community club and previous Senior England caps)
Forwards
Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks, Langworthy Reds ARLFC uncapped)
Joe Batley (Bristol Bears, Gosport and Fareham RFC, uncapped)
Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers, Workington RFC, 7 caps)
Zach Carr (Harlequins, Ironsides Rugby Club, uncapped)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, Warlingham RFC, 23 caps)
Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby, Saracens Amateur RFC, uncapped)
Tarek Haffar (Leicester Tigers, Grasshoppers RFC, uncapped)
Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears, Beaconsfield RFC, uncapped)
Will Hobson (Harlequins, Wymondham RFC, uncapped)
George Kloska (Bristol Bears, St. Brendan’s RFC, uncapped)
Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints, Colchester RFC, uncapped)
Sam Riley (Harlequins, Chobham RFC, uncapped)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, East Coast Bays RFC, 4 caps)
Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby, Cwmbran RFC, uncapped)
Backs
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, Oxford RFC, 1 cap)
Orlando Bailey (Leicester Tigers, Dorchester RFC, uncapped)
Paul Brown-Bampoe (Exeter Chiefs, Reed’s, uncapped)
Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks, West Park Leeds RUFC, 1 cap)
Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers, Newbury RFC 2 caps)
George Hendy (Northampton Saints, Shipston-on-Stour RFC, uncapped)
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks, Ampthill RUFC uncapped)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins, Tavistock RFC, 2 caps)
Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks, Broughton Park RFC, 2 caps)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, Tycroes RFC, 14 caps)
Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers, Oakhampton RFC, uncapped)
William Wand (Leicester Tigers, Spalding RFC, uncapped)
England Men’s A confirmed 2025/26 fixtures and results
Saturday 8th November 2025 – England A 14-31 All Blacks XV – The Recreation Ground, Bath, 13:15 GMT kick-off
Saturday 15th November 2025 – Spain 25-29 England A – Estadio Jose Zorrilla, Valladolid, 16:00 GMT kick-off
Friday 6th February 2026 – Ireland XV vs. England A – Thomond Park, Limerick, 19:15 kick-off
