Hunter rings changes for England

 

By Mark Stevens

England Under-20s Head Coach Rob Hunter has rung the changes ahead of his side’s fourth Six Nations game against Italy this weekend.

Wing Jack Nowell, full-back Ollie Devoto, scrum-half Callum Braley, props Scott Wilson and Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and flanker David Sisi all come into the starting fifteen, while there is also a first appearance of the season on the bench for young prop Alex Lundberg.

Nowell, who has been featuring heavily for the Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership in recent weeks, comes in for his first Under-20s cap alongside club-mates Sam Hill, Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Fellow Chiefs, Jack Arnott and Joel Conlon, both of whom have featured in England's three previous fixtures are ruled out of contention dut to shoulder and thumb injuries.

England - under the guidance of Hunter (pictured), who himself is set to join the Chiefs full-time next month - are coming off the back of a scintillating 40-10 victory against France in Worcester, which followed on from victory in the opening game against Scotland and a narrow 16-15 loss to Ireland.

Remarking on his first Under-20 appearance, Nowell said: “I missed the 20s campaign last season through injury so to have this opportunity is one that I’m really looking forward to. I played Italy at Under-18 level and they are in your face and physical, but this is a game that we’re really looking forward to.”

England Under-20s starting XV to play Italy

15 Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
14 Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors)
13 Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks)
12 Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
11 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
10 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
9 Callum Braley (Bristol Rugby)
1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints)
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
3 Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
4 Elliott Stooke (Gloucester Rugby)
5 Dominic Barrow (Leeds Carnegie)
6 Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers)
7 David Sisi (London Irish)
8 Jack Clifford (Harlequins, capt)

Replacements:

16 Nathan Morris (London Wasps)
17 Alex Lundberg (London Wasps)
18 Danny Herriott (Northampton Saints)
19 Tom Jubb (Saracens)
20 Gus Jones (London Wasps)
21 Alex Day (Northampton Saints)
22 Tom Stephenson (Northampton Saints)
23 Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers)