England Women U20s squad named for France clash

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England Women Under 20s Head Coach Jo Yapp has made three changes to the starting line-up that defeated the Army last week for Saturday’s game against France, kick off 1pm GMT at the Stade Sainte-Germaine in Bordeaux.

Worcester fullback Rachel Lund has been handed the captaincy arm-band with Caity Mattinson ruled out through injury. Wing Zoe Aldcroft, scrumhalf Devon Holt and prop Henrietta Burkinshaw have been called up off the bench while Bristol’s Olivia Jones makes a positional move at lock.

England head into Saturday’s game on the back of a three-try, 25-10 victory over the Army and their game against France will be the first of two meetings over the next month, with England also playing Les Bleus at Esher RFC on March 21.

Yapp said: “We have made a couple of changes to the squad due to injuries and because we want to rotate the squad. We want to give players the chance to put their hands up for selection over these three games.”

“We were really pleased with the win over the Army because of the nature of the performance. The players really stepped up and stuck to the game plan. They were also very physical and didn’t take a backward step.”

“I was really pleased with their mentality and that is exactly what we are going to need against France. Playing France in France is always one of the toughest Test matches you can play so we need to be even more disciplined, mentality strong and front up.”

England Women U20s (Name, Club, CB, Academy, AASE)

15 Rachel Lund (Worcester, Yorkshire, Midlands) C

14 Zoe Aldcroft (Hartpury, Yorkshire, North, Hartpury College)

13 Charlotte Holland (Bath, Devon, South West)

12 Emily Wood (Lichfield, Gloucestershire, South West)

11 Charlotte Clapp (Saracens, South East)

10 Sarah Nicholas (Lichfield, Staffordshire, Midlands)

9 Devon Holt (Bristol, Berkshire, South West)

1 Henrietta  Burkinshaw (Lichfield, Yorkshire, North)

2 Lark Davies (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands) VC

3 Katie Trevarthen (Camp Hill, Notts, Lincs & Derby, Midlands)

4 Olivia Jones (Bristol, Oxfordshire, South West)

5 Catherine O’Donnell (Vale of Lune, Cumbria, North)

6 Abbie Walker (Worcester, Gloucestershire, South West)

7 Sarah Bern (Esher, Surrey, South East, Hartpury College)

8 Sally Stott (Vale of Lune, Lancashire, North)

Replacements:

16 May Campbell (Bristol, Hertfordshire, South West)

17 Abigail Parsons (Bristol, Berkshire, South West)

18 Georgia Bradley  (Hartpury/Bristol, South East, Hartpury College)

19 Amy Wigley (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands)

20 Rebecca Trist (Worcester, Lancashire, South West)

21 Lucy Nye  (Lichfield, Devon, South West)

22 Jade Shekells (Hartpury, North Midlands, Midlands, Hartpury College)

23 Courtney  Bishop (Bristol, Somerset, South West)

England U20s playing schedule:

England 25 Army 10, Tuesday February 17, Aldershot Army Rugby Stadium

France v England, Saturday February 28, KO 1pm GMT, Stade Sainte-Germaine, Bordeaux

England v France, Saturday March 21, KO 2pm, Esher RFC