Loan Watch and Academy Roundup

Loan Warrior

A quiet week on the loan front saw Senior Academy winger Alex Harmes the sole Exiles representative plying his trade in the rugby pyramid, earning his second appearance for Midlanders Ampthill in the Championship Cup.

Paul Turner’s side were aiming to rectify a last-minute loss in the league earlier on in the season to Cornish Pirates, who were last weekend’s opponents with both team unbeaten in the cup competition heading into the game.

Harmes played out a fantastic game; threatening with ball in hand and making notable clean breaks, most memorably down the left channel where and chip and chase starting on halfway saw the youngster just denied at the whitewash.

The ball was the to be worked out of the resulting ruck and Caleb Montgomery was to dive over for Ampthill’s first score to bring the game to 19-13.

It wasn’t to be for the travelling side at Mennaye Field, who tasted defeat in a reverse sealed by a 27-18 scoreline and now sit second in their pool behind Pirates.

Age-grade representation

England under-18s have included Ralph McEachran (prop), Kepu Tuipulotu (hooker), Finn Worley-Brady (back-row), Cameron Ellis (centre), Rory Taylor (fly-half) and Sam Rockley (wing) in their latest training camp.

The Southern-based camp is set to place this weekend, with all five junior Exiles included in Jonathan Pendlebury’s previous call-up two weeks ago.

In the under-20s national set-up, Afolabi Fasogbon (prop), Calum Scott (hooker), Ollie Allan (scrum-half) and Monty Bradbury (fly-half) all received their first inclusion in the age-grade to link up with Alan Dickens’ squad.

They will accompany second-year player Chandler Cunningham-South (back-row) to training midweek next week at Bisham Abbey ahead of the 2023 Under-20 Six Nations in February of next year.