Taylor retained for England under-18 tour

London Irish Academy player Rory Taylor has been preserved in the England under-18 squad to travel to South Africa later this month.

The three-Test series will take place between the 19^th-27^th August in Paarl, Western Cape at the Paarl Gymnasium, 416 Main St, Courtrai, Paarl, 7646.

Jonathan Pendlebury, England under-18s Head Coach, originally announced the full squad to travel to the Rainbow Nation in spring earlier this year but there has since been one change to the squad.

Isaac Keller of Newcastle Falcons/Gosforth Academy has been absorbed into the 26-man squad to replace Yorkshire Academy’s Tye Raymont.

Pendlebury’s men will line up twice against South Africa’s under-18s side to bookend the tour, whilst also taking on a South Africa under-18 A-side in a midweek fixture.

Wellington College student Taylor was capped at the under-18 age grade last season, with the Isle of Wight native moving through the ranks of Irish’s Development Player Programme (DPP).

The Exiles’ fly-half joined the Club’s production line at under-13 level and also represented Hampshire, before being named in his country’s squad for this year’s Under-18 Six Nations festival alongside Ollie Allan and Connor Cross.

Head Coach Pendlebury expressed the benefits of the tour against challenging opposition away from home.

“This is an exciting tour for the players who have worked hard with their Academies throughout the summer in preparation,” Pendlebury stated.

“We have almost a week together in South Africa to train and I know the players are really ready to make the most of the opportunities to continue learning.

“We are keen to explore what representing England at under-18 age group level overseas is like versus facing opposition on home soil.”

 

England under-18 fixtures for the tour of South Africa

19 August, KO, 14.30 BST - South Africa under-18 v England under-18

23 August, KO 12.00 BST - South Africa A v England under-18

27 August, KO 14.30 BST - South Africa under-18  v England under-18

 

England under-18 squad

Finn Baker (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School) 

Jack Bennett (Bath Rugby, Monkton Combe School) 

Tom Burrow (Yorkshire Academy, Heckmondwike Grammar School) 

Tom Burton (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School) 

*Conor Byrne (Harlequins, Trinity College) 

Frank Chatterton (Sale Sharks, Stockport Grammar School) 

*Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints, Oakham School) 

George Edson (Exeter Chiefs, Truro College) 

*Will Glister (Wasps, City of Oxford College) 

*Ioan Jones (Gloucester Rugby, Dean Close School) 

Loic Keasey (Worcester Warriors, RGS Worcester) 

Isaac Keller (Newcastle Falcons, Gosforth Academy)

Sean Kerr (Harlequins, Whitgift School) 

*Archie McParland (Northampton Saints, Stowe School) 

Barney Merrett (Saracens, Sutton Valence School) 

Alex O’Driscoll (Wasps, Berkhamsted) 

Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons, Barnard Castle School) 

George Perkins (Leicester Tigers, Denstone College) 

Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, Stowe School) 

*Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School) 

Billy Sela (Bath Rugby, Beechen Cliff) 

Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, Gravesend Grammar School) 

*Rory Taylor (London Irish, Wellington College) 

Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears, Clifton College) 

Raff Weston (Bath Rugby, Beechen Cliff) 

Will Wootton (Sale Sharks, Sedbergh School) 

 

*Capped at under-18 level in the 2021-22 season.