England Men’s A head coach Mark Mapletoft has named Sharks Ben Bamber, Joe Carpenter and Raffi Quirke in his matchday squad for Friday’s fixture against Ireland XV (19:15 GMT kick-off).
Sharks second row Bamber and full-back Carpenter will both start the game at Thomond Park Stadium, in Limerick, while scrum-half Quirke will begin the game on the replacements bench.
Following their last victory in Spain, the England A squad are looking forward to meeting Ireland’s second string after last February’s 28-12 victory at Ashton Gate Stadium.
Exeter Chiefs’ Ethan Roots has been named Mapletoft’s captain for the upcoming game and leads the team for the second time.
Cadan Murley, Jack Kenningham, Archie van der Flier and Hugh Tizard are now named in the squad for Friday’s fixture, adding further strength and quality across the group. Kenningham and Murley joined the senior squad for last week’s training block in Girona, providing them with valuable experience and insight that they can now bring into the A’s.
Ten squad members have senior caps and 17 progressed through England’s U18 or U20 pathways, making this group a strong reflection of the national development programme. With players such as Henry Randall (14 caps) and Jamie Blamire (7 caps) leading with senior experience, this squad has a real mix of talented players.
Mapletoft, England Men’s A head coach, said: “We have high expectations for this group. Every player has the talent to perform at their best and we’re looking forward to the challenge Friday. The mix of experience and emerging skill in this squad makes it a genuinely exciting team to work with. They will gel quickly, push each other, and learn from one another as we progress, which is exactly what we want from an England A side.”
The fixture will be broadcast live on Premier Sports, with coverage from Thomond Park starting at 19:00 GMT
England Men’s A matchday squad to face Ireland XV (includes current club, community club and Senior Men’s fixtures.)
15 Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks, West Park Leeds RUFC, 1 cap)
14 Cadan Murley (Harlequins, Salisbury RFC, 3 caps)
13 Luke Northmore (Harlequins, Tavistock RFC, 2 caps)
12 Orlando Bailey (Leicester Tigers, Dorchester RFC, uncapped)
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers, Newbury RFC, 2 caps)
10 Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers, Oakhampton RFC, uncapped)
9 Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, Tycroes RFC, 14 caps)
1 Tarek Haffar (Leicester Tigers, Grasshoppers RFC, uncapped)
2 Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers, Workington RFC, 7 caps)
3 George Kloska (Bristol Bears, St. Brendan’s RFC, uncapped)
4 Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks, Langworthy Reds ARLFC, uncapped)
5 Joe Batley (Bristol Bears, Gosport and Fareham RFC, uncapped)
6 Ethan Roots (C) (Exeter Chiefs, East Coast Bays RFC, 4 caps)
7 Jack Kenningham (Harlequins, Richmond RFC, uncapped)
8 Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, Warlingham RFC, 23 caps)
Replacements
16 Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby, Cwmbran RFC, uncapped)
17 Archie Van Der Flier (Leicester Tigers, Nottingham Rugby, uncapped)
18 Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby, Saracens Amateur RFC, uncapped)
19 Hugh Tizard (Saracens, Guildfordians RFC, uncapped)
20 Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears, Beaconsfield RFC, uncapped)
21 Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks, Broughton Park RFC, 2 caps)
22 Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, Oxford RFC, 1 cap)
23 George Hendy (Northampton Saints, Shipston-on-Stour RFC, uncapped)
