Halliwell named in England U20 squad for Italy clash

Academy prop Jimmy Halliwell has been named in the England U20 matchday 23 to face Italy in the first round of the 2024 Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Championship.  

Halliwell is named among the replacements for the clash in Treviso at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo this Friday (February 2nd), kicking-off at 19:15 GMT and will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer.  

England U20 Men head coach Mark Mapletoft said: “It’s great to be back in a game week with the boys, the team are incredibly excited for Friday’s test against a very challenging Italian side. 

“I’d like to congratulate Finn on his captaincy, it’s imperative we have players that can lead by their actions on the pitch and we’re lucky to have such a tight-knit group of players to represent us. 

The pathway cohort travel to Treviso to take on Massimo Brunello’s team at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo this Friday (2 February), kicking-off at 19:15 GMT and will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer.  

Leicester Tigers’ versatile forward Finn Carnduff will lead out the team after being named the U20 team captain for the tournament. 

The Market Harborough RUFC and Leicester Grammar School product, who represented his country in the 2023 Under-20 Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship, was recently involved in his 10th senior Tigers appearance as a replacement in a 20-19 Gallagher Premiership win away to Harlequins. 

England U20 Men head coach Mark Mapletoft said: “It’s great to be back in a game week with the boys, the team are incredibly excited for Friday’s test against a very challenging Italian side. 

arnduff is accompanied by six other capped U20 players in the matchday XV, with further capped experience from the bench in the form of forwards James Halliwell (Bristol Bears), Joe Bailey (Exeter Chiefs) and Nathan Michelow (Saracens). 

Sale Sharks prop forward Asher Opoku-Fordjour and scrum-half Archie McParland of Northampton Saints, both U20 Elite Player Squad members, arrive into the U20 national fold with 19 senior club appearances to their names across domestic and European competition this term. 

The U20 Men have accelerated preparations for the Six Nations tournament in recent weeks with fixtures against Bath United and Oxford University, missing out in a 33-42 scoreline in the former and emerging victors in the latter, finishing 44-5 against the university outfit. 

Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre hosted Mapletoft’s set-up once again in a week of unit work, gym sessions and prepare to play routines in preparation for the challenge of Friday’s hosts, Italy. 

Italy’s U20 Men picked up two wins in last year’s edition of the tournament, England defeating the Azzurri 32-25 at Kingsholm, and arrive into match week in high confidence after a 22-18 warm-up victory over France in Viadana this January. 

England U20 Men’s team to face Italy:

15 Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons) 

14 Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints) * 

13 Ben Waghorn (Harlequins) * 

12 Sean Kerr (Harlequins) 

11 Alex Wills (Sale Sharks) * 

10 Rory Taylor (Gloucester Rugby) 

9 Archie McParland (Northampton Saints) 

1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks) * 

2 Craig Wright (Northampton Saints) * 

3 Billy Sela (Bath Rugby) 

4 Olamide Sodeke (Saracens) 

5 Junior Kpoku (Racing 92) 

6 Finn Carnduff (c) (Leicester Tigers) * 

7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) 

8 Zach Carr (Harlequins) * 


Replacements 

16 Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons) 

17 Scott Kirk (Bath Rugby) 

18 James Halliwell (Bristol Bears) * 

19 Joe Bailey (Exeter Chiefs) * 

20 Nathan Michelow (Saracens) * 

21 Ben Douglas (Newcastle Falcons) 

22 Josh Bellamy (Harlequins) 

23 Ollie Spencer (Newcastle) 

*denotes a player previously capped at U20 level