Six Northampton Saints players have been selected in the England Men A side to take on Australia A this weekend.
Fraser Dingwall captains from inside centre and is joined in the starting line-up for Sunday’s showdown (kick-off: 2pm) at Twickenham Stoop by club mates Tom Pearson and Henry Pollock, who wear the six and seven shirts respectively.
Two of England A’s three front row options from the bench are Saintsmen with hooker Curtis Langdon and loosened prop Emmanuel Iyogun awaiting their chance to impress, while Archie McParland provides the alternative scrum-half cover.
Head coach Mark Mapletoft said: “I’d like to thank Conor [O’Shea], Steve [Borthwick] and all the support staff for their incredible effort in the buildup to what promises to be a fantastic occasion at The Stoop. Collaboration across the pathway, senior men’s and women’s teams has been vital in our processes so far.
“We want the players to seize the opportunity this Sunday, their cohesion and unity in such a short period has been pleasing.
“We have a mix of younger talent, Premiership-quality players and those capped at Test level too – it's a unique blend that ultimately creates a driven environment, and we’re confident that will show this Sunday.”
Tickets start from only £25 for adults & £15 for kids (U16)* for England Men A’s meeting against Australia A. Click HERE to secure your place at the Twickenham Stoop. (*booking fees apply).
England A v Australia A will be live on Premier Sports 1 starting at 1.30pm on Sunday 17 November. To find out more visit www.premiersports.tv. Premier Sports is the new home of the Investec Champions Cup with every game live and exclusive in the UK including Northampton Saints showcase R1 opening weekend fixture against Castres Olympique on Saturday 7 December (kick-off: 3.15pm).
ENGLAND MEN A SIDE TO FACE AUSTRALIA A (includes current club and senior caps)
15 Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks)
14 Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
13 Oscar Beard (Harlequins)
12 Fraser Dingwall (c) (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
11 Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)
10 Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
9 Will Porter (Harlequins)
1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
2 Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)
3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
4 Hugh Tizard (Saracens)
5 Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby)
6 Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
8 Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)
Replacements:
16 Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
17 Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints)
18 Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)
19 Rusi Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
20 Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
21 Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)
22 Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)
23 Will Muir (Bath Rugby)
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