London Irish’s Josh Basham and Jack Cooke have been on international duty for England Under-18s and Ireland Under-19s respectively.

Basham, 18, played 80 minutes of England’s 39-20 victory over Ireland at Parc y Scarlet in the U18 International Series as the Red Rose made it two wins on the bounce in the competition.

Meanwhile, Cooke, who has featured in the Exiles’ senior side this term, was part of an Ireland outfit that succumbed to defeat at the hands of France.

Paying tribute to the talented duo, Academy Manager Patrick O’Grady said: “Josh and Jack are continuing to grow as rugby players and the more experience that they gain on the international stage, will certainly aid their development.

“We are delighted to have two Academy graduates gaining exposure for their country’s and they are a pleasure to work with on the training ground.”

Be part of the team cheering the players on in the next step back to the Premiership. Tickets for the Play-off Semi-final at 1.15pm on Saturday 6 May are on sale from www.lidirect.co.uk or by calling 0118 968 1016 #StrongerTogether. 

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