Mapletoft to lead England A against Australia A
England U20 Men’s head coach Mark Mapletoft will lead the England A squad against Australia A this autumn as the team’s head coach.
The side return to face Australia A at the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday 17 November (14:00 GMT kick-off), with tickets available to buy now.
After guiding the U20 Men to Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship victory in 2024, Mapletoft will head-up the programme in November as the England Men’s Pathway strengthens its alignment across age groups.
Mapletoft will be accompanied by current U20 Men’s assistant coach, Andy Titterrell, as the team’s forwards coach. They will be joined by pathway scrum coach Nathan Catt and key U20 Men’s Strength & Conditioning, Medical and Operational staff for the game.
Lee Blackett of Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs’ Haydn Thomas join the coaching ticket as attack and defence coaches, respectively.
The coaching team was chosen by the RFU in consultation with Premiership Rugby, with the selection of the matchday 23 determined by senior men’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, and RFU Executive Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O’Shea.
The England A side provides a platform for players transitioning from the Gallagher Premiership and pathway at U20 level to the senior men’s team, with the reintroduction of the side coming earlier on in 2024 with a 91-5 victory over Portugal after an eight-year absence.
Mapletoft said: “It’s an honour to be asked to take on this role with England A in November. I’m very proud and also grateful to be entrusted with the responsibility of presiding over a very intriguing fixture.
“It’s important that the coaches and I maintain our work alongside Conor [O’Shea] and Steve [Borthwick] to ensure continued development for the best young players in our system. We want to demonstrate that we have a clear, linear progression for talent from age-grade to the pinnacle of English rugby.
"Just as with the other pathway and senior sides, we demand players embrace the opportunity and adapt to the England Rugby environment with new coaches and players. We can’t wait to get started.”
Tickets for England A vs. Australia A at the Twickenham Stoop are available from £25 for adults and £15 for U16s*. Tickets for England A’s clash against Ireland A also available now.
*booking fees apply
England Men A coaching staff for Australia A fixture
Mark Mapletoft – Head Coach
Andy Titterrell – Forwards Coach
Nathan Catt – Pathway Scrum Coach
Lee Blackett – Attack Coach
Haydn Thomas – Defence Coach
England Men A 2024/25 fixtures
Sunday 17 November 2024 – England A vs. Australia A – Twickenham Stoop, 14:00 GMT kick-off
Sunday 23 February 2025 – England A vs. Ireland A – Ashton Gate, 13:00 GMT kick-off
