Steve Borthwick has announced an exciting squad ahead of next week’s England ‘A’ clash with Portugal at Leicester Tigers Stadium.
The formidable squad boasts a rich mix of seasoned veterans and budding talents, with five players who have already earned their stripes at the senior level, alongside promising youngsters embarking on their England journey.
Among the seasoned players are Jamie Blamire, Nick Isiewke, Tom Pearson, Harry Randall, and Ollie Hassell-Collins. Impressively, 21 out of the 27 players have emerged from the England Rugby pathway, garnering caps at either the U18 or U20 level within the men’s system.
This stellar squad was meticulously curated by England Senior Men’s Head Coach Steve Borthwick, in collaboration with England A head coach George Skivington, defensive coach Dom Waldouck, offensive coach Sam Vesty, and RFU Director of Rugby Performance Conor O’Shea.
Steve Borthwick had the following to say: “We’re delighted to see the return of A Team rugby as such an important part of our rugby’s development and to announce the squad for the forthcoming fixture against Portugal.
“We have got a lot of talented and exciting young players in England, and this is a great opportunity for them to show they can play international rugby. We have selected players in this initial squad who we believe have the potential to be in the England team in the very near future.
“One of the very important aspects of this A Team is to provide a platform for players who have come out of the Under 20s and who are playing club rugby, allowing them to experience the international environment.”
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Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, 7 caps)
Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints)
Sam Riley (Harlequins)
Seb Blake (Gloucester)
Josh Iosefa Scott (Exeter Chiefs)
James Harper (Sale Sharks)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 11 caps)
Arthur Clark (Gloucester)
Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks)
Rusiate Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Jack Clement (Gloucester)
Backs
Caolan Englefield (Gloucester)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 2 caps)
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester)
Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)
Oliver Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Oliver Hartley (Saracens)
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks)
Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Harris (Bath)
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