England A team: Eight Test-capped men headline selection as Ex-Maori All Black set for debut
Noah Caluori (right) and Max Hicks (left) feature in the England A squad this weekend.
England A will be able to call on the services of eight Test-capped men for their upcoming clash with Argentina, with Mark Mapletoft naming a strong 23-man squad for the clash on Friday night.
All eight men feature in the run-on group for Mapletoft this weekend, with three of them recently featuring in the England senior squad alignment camp ahead of the upcoming Nations Championship campaign.
As well as the senior-capped men, 13 players have progressed through the England pathway system and boast caps at U18s or U20s level.
England A headlined by Test-capped octet
The bulk of the capped men feature in the run-on backline, with Joe Carpenter, Noah Caluori, Luke Northmore, Max Ojomoh and Charlie Atkinson all selected in the starting unit. They are also joined by George Hendy and Caolan Englefield from the get-go, with the pair both previously featuring for England A in the past.
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Captain Fitz Harding leads the side out from number eight, with Jack Kenningham and four-capped Exeter Chiefs man Ethan Roots joining him in the back-row. Ben Bamber and Joe Batley form the lock pairing, while Afo Fasogbon and Archie van der Flier join capped hooker Jamie Blamire in the front-row.
Ex-Maori All Blacks and current Newcastle Red Bulls back-rower Max Hicks, Saracens prop Alex O’Driscoll and Harlequins scrum-half Lucas Friday also make their first appearance in an England A line-up after making the bench. They are joined by Nathan Jibulu, capped tighthead George Kloska, Tom Lockett, Billy Searle and Tobias Elliot on the replacements list.
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Commenting on his selection, Mapletoft said: “This group has shown excellent determination in a short training week, and we’re excited to see them come together for the first time this
season at The Rec.
“The programme continues to play an important role in strengthening our pathway, giving players the chance to make a difference in an England shirt while continuing their development in a high-performance environment.
“We also like to congratulate Fitz (Harding) on leading the side for a second time; he has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, sets high standards for those around him, and is a respected figure who brings the group together both on and off the field.”
England A team v Argentina in full
Starting XV: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Noah Caluori, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 George Hendy, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Caolan Englefield, 8 Fitz Harding (c), 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 Ethan Roots, 5 Ben Bamber, 4 Joe Batley, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Archie van der Flier
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Alex O’Driscoll, 18 George Kloska, 19 Tom Lockett, 20 Max Hicks, 21 Lucas Friday, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Tobias Elliott