Aussies roll in to finish off the tour

THE cream of England’s young rugby talent will take on the finest prospects from Australia at Cinderford Rugby Club this Saturday (2pm).

The Australian Schools’ team will be playing the final match of their tour against an England Academies under-19s team.

Some of the most powerful men in English rugby will be at the game, including RFU president John Owen, and director of elite rugby, Rob Andrew.

Cinderford’s commercial manager Matt Bayliss said: “Everyone is working hard behind the scenes, even though we have a first-team game away at Cambridge the same day.

“The pitch will be in excellent condition and we’ll be giving the Australian players a full English Christmas dinner after the game.”
Click here for more

The England team for Saturday’s match could include Jon Harris, who has played for Leicester Tigers this season, rising Sale star Ryan Glynn and Sam Stanley, the nephew of the great All-Black Joe Stanley.

Leicester wonderboy George Ford and last season’s England under-18s captain Alex Gray are also likely to figure. Ford recently made his first-team debut for the Welford Road club at the age of 16, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a professional club game.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson may even be in the crowd if son Oliver lines-up for the England team.

Inside the Dockham Road dug-out will be former Gloucester, Harlequins, Saracens and London Irish fly-half Mark Mapletoft, who has been put in charge of the England Academies squad.

The Australians have suffered some disappointing results on their tour so far, having lost 15-0 to Ireland under-19s and 27-12 to England under-19s at Lymm RFC. They also went down to England under-18s.

They did, however, beat Wales under-19s 10-6.

The Aussies have been rotating their 32-man squad thus far, but are likely to field a full-strength side for the capped international in Cinderford.

Home fans should watch out for Liam Gill and winger Kimani Sitauti, who have both been named in Australia’s sevens squad for next year’s IRB World Series.

Source:thisisgloucestershire