Another Vunipola climbing England ranks

ENGLAND U18s have named their 2018 squad for the forthcoming Six Nations festival.

The 42-player squad features six members of the England U18 group that toured South Africa last August including Cameron Redpath who also won his first U20 cap versus Wales in the Six Nations earlier this month.

Other members of that tour group include: Will Capon, Richard Capstick, Tom de Glanville, Sam Spink and Kieran Wilkinson. Head coach John Fletcher has also included Saracens fly-half Manu Vunipola, cousin of Billy and Mako.

England will open their season against France on March 3 and Fletcher said: “We’ve coached and assessed players in our pre-Christmas camps as well as watching the seven rounds of U18 academy games, and have come up with a group of exciting young players.

“We want to support them with their individual development and expose them to an international environment. Everyone will get an opportunity to play a significant role in the forthcoming games.”

Several of last season’s U18 squad have progressed into the U20 set up with Joe Heyes, Beck Cutting, James Scott, Josh Basham, Sam Moore, Tom Willis, Tom Seabrook, Tom Hardwick and Fraser Dingwall named in the U20 Elite Player Squad for 2018.

“It’s great to see so many involved with England U20s, however, there always needs to be an opportunity for those that are developing later to also be given a chance.”