Sport Wasps duo ready for showdown in U20s semi-final
WASPS duo Tom Willis and Gaby Oghre has been named on the WASPS duo Tom Willis and Gaby Oghre have been named on the bench for England’s World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final with South Africa.
Willis, younger brother of Jack, started the previous two games against Italy and Scotland but is among the replacements for the clash in Narbonne, which kicks off at 6pm today.
The winner of the clash will face either New Zealand or France, who pack down at 8pm in the other semi-final in Perpignan.
England U20s have reached the last five finals, winning three of them in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and since 2008 they have reached eight out of the 10 finals.
Head coach Steve Bates said: “We’re into the knockout stages of the competition now so we need to raise the tempo of our game and be more accurate as well as play at a more intense pace.
“At this stage of the competition the stakes are high and we need to be able to play under that type of pressure while also being able to raise our game.
“We’ve been able to rotate the squad quite nicely throughout the tournament, we’ve got two Premiership players coming back into the side who didn’t play in our final pool game so they will be fresh and will add a great deal to the team. “My message to the players on Tuesday will be a simple one, these opportunities don’t come around too often, we are in the semi-final of a wonderful competition, playing southern hemisphere opposition and I want them to show their class. The key thing is not to be overawed by the occasion, but to go out there and attack them.”
We are in the semifinal of a wonderful competition, playing southern hemisphere opposition and I want them to show their class.