England A squad announced ahead of Ireland A game
A 25-player squad has been selected as part of a wider England Men’s A group to prepare for the side’s upcoming fixture against Ireland A at Ashton Gate Stadium.
Following a 38-17 win over Australia A last November, England A return to action on Sunday 23rd February (13:00 GMT kick-off) in Bristol, with the match streamed live for free on RugbyPass TV.
Four players capped at senior level are included in the form of Ollie Hassell-Collins, Jack van Poortvliet, Curtis Langdon and Tom Pearson.
Of the squad, 12 have previously played for England A against either Portugal or Australia A, while 21 of those named also boast caps at age-grade level.
England A wider squad to face Ireland A
Forwards
Alfie Barbeary (Bath Rugby)
Phil Brantingham (Saracens)
Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Luke Green (Northampton Saints)
Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints)
Jack Kenningham (Harlequins)
George Kloska (Bristol Bears)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints)
Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
Hugh Tizard (Saracens)
Backs
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
Orlando Bailey (Bath Rugby)
Will Butt (Bath Rugby)
Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks)
Tobias Elliott (Saracens)
Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
George Hendy (Northampton Saints)
Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Will Porter (Harlequins)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)
Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers)
How to watch
Via the app
Download the official RugbyPass TV App for iOS and Android, featuring Chromecast and Airplay support so you can stream in Full HD on your big screen TV.
On your computer
Watch on your desktop or mobile device at rugbypass.tv.
England A coaching staff
Earlier on this week, Bath Rugby’s Lee Blackett was appointed the team’s head coach and attack coach for the game. He will be accompanied by Haydn Thomas (Exeter Chiefs, defence coach), Louis Deacon (Red Roses, forwards coach) and Matt Ferguson (Northampton Saints, scrum coach) as part of his staff for the match.
The coaching team was chosen by the RFU in consultation with Premiership Rugby, with the selection of the match day 23 determined by senior men’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, and RFU Executive Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O’Shea.
The squad will assemble at the Bristol Bears High Performance Centre next week to begin preparations for the fixture, where they may be joined by a selection of senior players.
Reaction
Lee Blackett said: "It’s an honour to be a part of this team once again, even more so having now been trusted to lead it. I’m privileged to be surrounded by a fantastic coaching and support staff from the RFU and Premiership Rugby clubs, and we’re all keen to work with this exciting group of players.
“The players we have at our disposal is a real indication of the breadth of talent within the Premiership currently. A healthy proportion of the team have experience with the Men’s A team and are motivated to seize the opportunity whilst representing their country.”
“With Haydn and I previously involved in the set-up last November, we want to continue to develop a collaborative and supportive environment alongside Louis [Deacon] and Matt [Ferguson].”
Tickets for England A vs. Ireland A at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol are available from £20 for adults and £5 for U12s* and can be purchased here.
*booking fees apply
