A trio of stars who helped Saints to the Premiership Rugby Under-18 Final have been called up by England Under-18s for their summer tour to South Africa.
Versatile back Toby Cousins, scrum-half Archie McParland and flanker Henry Pollock all featured heavily throughout the season in Black, Green and Gold, playing a year above their age group as Under-17s.
Imagine doing THIS in your very first game of the season...
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) December 20, 2021
...and it's Derby Day 😳
Toby Cousins pulled something special out of the bag as the @SaintsRugbyAcad Under-18s beat Tigers 36-22 on Friday night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FVkVp6f4j4
Cousins and McParland also saw action for England Under-18s and are two of seven players returning for a second season with the group as they face a three-match international series in the Cape Town area in August.
“This is an exciting overseas tour for this Under-18s group and for a good majority of them it will be their first time putting on an England shirt,” head coach Jonathan Pendlebury said.
“Seven of last year’s Under-18s are returning to the squad and will add to their experiences as well as those of the player group overall. I know they will all be looking forward to the opportunity, will work hard with their academies through the summer, support one another and embrace the opportunity that playing overseas against different nations brings. Experiences that will develop their game over the long term.”
ENGLAND UNDER-18 SQUAD
Finn Baker (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School)
Jack Bennett (Bath Rugby, Monkton Combe School)
Tom Burrow (Yorkshire Academy, Heckmondwike Grammar School)
Tom Burton (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School)
*Conor Byrne (Harlequins, Trinity College)
Frank Chatterton (Sale Sharks, Stockport Grammar School)
*Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints, Oakham School)
George Edson (Exeter Chiefs, Truro College)
*Will Glister (Wasps, City of Oxford College)
*Ioan Jones (Gloucester Rugby, Dean Close School)
Loic Keasey (Worcester Warriors, RGS Worcester)
Sean Kerr (Harlequins, Whitgift School)
*Archie McParland (Northampton Saints, Stowe School)
Barney Merrett (Saracens, Sutton Valence School)
Alex O’Driscoll (Wasps, Berkhamsted)
Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons, Barnard Castle School)
George Perkins (Leicester Tigers, Denstone College)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, Stowe School)
Tye Raymont (Yorkshire Academy, Bishop Burton School)
*Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School)
Billy Sela (Bath Rugby, Beechen Cliff)
Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, Gravesend Grammar School)
*Rory Taylor (London Irish, Wellington College)
Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears, Clifton College)
Raff Weston (Bath Rugby, Beechen Cliff)
Will Wootton (Sale Sharks, Sedbergh School)
*Capped at U18 level in the 2021-22 season.
