Meet Aiden Ainsworth-Cave: The England U20s star moulded in Courtney Lawes’ frame and aspiring to reach his heights
England U20s forward Aiden Ainsworth-Cave in training
England U20s are in the midst of developing a golden generation of talent, and the latest to join the esteemed group is looking to make waves.
18-year-old Northampton Saints starlet Aiden Ainsworth-Cave is one of the newest members of the U20s Elite Player Squad, but already looks to be a settled member of the group as he made his debut off the bench in their 19-3 win over Ireland.
Coming into this squad is no mean feat either, given the pedigree and talent already within it. Last season, the U20s won both the Six Nations title and the Junior World Championships and a number of players have already been drafted into the senior squad.
Asher Opoku-Fordjour has gone on to make his Test debut for England and Henry Pollock and Afolabi Fasogbon have also been involved in senior camps this Six Nations in various guises.
The likes of Junior Kpoku, Kepu Tuipulotu, Lucas Friday and Archie McParland also remain with the squad this year, and will be looking to add more silverware to their collection.
But, despite the weight of expectation looming over both him and the squad from the outside, the versatile back-five forward insists the squad are just focusing on this new crop and putting the noise to one side.
“That expectation probably comes externally,” Ainsworth-Cave exclusively told Planet Rugby. “As a group, we recognise the success they had last year, but this year we’re focused on what we can do as a new group coming together.
“We want to replicate their success, and following their principles and that brotherhood that they built, but we want to do it in our own way.”
He added: “We have some experienced players who were involved last year, but then there’s a lot of new faces like myself. It’s a really supportive group, but highly competitive and that competition drives high performance and pushes us to be the best.”
Ainsworth-Cave also detailed the step up he’s had to make, but told Planet Rugby it’s a challenge he’s looking forward to taking on: “It’s a step up from 18s and academy rugby, but it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to and want to take every opportunity I get.”
Injury hell
Despite coming straight into the 23-man-squad in his first camp, it’s not all been plain sailing in his early career, and he detailed the serious injuries he’s picked up already.
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“Playing U20s is a great opportunity for me,” he said. “It was on my radar but wasn’t a main focus coming off a year of long-term injury. I was just looking to get this year under my belt, playing good, consistent rugby; so to have this opportunity is a real honour.”
He added: “In 2023, I missed the whole season through an MCL and meniscus tear, and coming back from that I then damaged some ligaments in my ankle which took longer to come back from then expected.
“With very limited game-time last year, this was just a year for me to get back to playing my best rugby and then taking any opportunities to play top level rugby.”
Courtney Lawes 2.0?
A rangy forward who can play both lock and back-row at Northampton, rings any bells?
Courtney Lawes will forever go down as one of the club’s, and maybe even the nation’s, best-ever forwards, and the comparisons between the former England skipper and Ainsworth-Cave are easy ones to make considering the position he plays and the club he plays for, however, the 18-year-old wants to forge his own path.
“Being a Northampton fan and playing for the academy, he was someone I was watching coming through,” he said. “What he did for England and for Saints, capping it off with a Premiership, is something everyone should aspire to be, especially if they’re playing for their boyhood club.
“The comparisons are easy to make – a tall, rangy versatile second-row/back-row forward – but at the moment I’m just focusing on my own performances. Hopefully, one day, I can be at that level.
“He’s an icon of the game and will always be put on that pedestal, but it’s not for me to try and replicate what he did; it’s time to make my own.”
Ainsworth-Cave and the rest of the England U20s team are back in action again this Friday night, as they take on France in round two.