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Mitchell: To win would be something we'd never forget

Travis PerkinsSponsored by Travis Perkins

Beating South Africa at the death to make it through to the World Rugby U20 Championship final, England now face New Zealand's Baby Blacks on Sunday afternoon for the title.

Saints' Academy scrum-half Alex Mitchell, who has scored three tries in the competition so far, says that the whole experience of playing international rugby in a competition like this is something he's thriving on.

"It's been really good so far," Mitchell said when we spoke to him from Tbilisi.

"It's a fantastic experience and I'm really looking forward to Sunday really."

With the competition taking place in up and coming rugby nation Georgia this year, Mitchell said that the sports growth in the country has given the tournament a great atmosphere.

"It's a really nice country. We've mainly been around Tbilisi but we've had a look around. We went on the cable cars up the mountains and it's just a really nice area.

"Obviously there's a lot of support too rugby-wise, at the games there've been quite a few fans. It's a really great country of rugby."

Having got over the whitewash three times in four games, Mitchell said to score for England was a honour.

"It was great to score. I was just lucky to get on the end of some line breaks and I'm just happy to finish those off.

"It's a great feeling, of course, to score for your country but I've just been doing the best I can really and that's coming off. It's good."

Looking ahead to the threat of their opposition for the final round of the competition, the 20-year-old is looking forward to the threat New Zealand pose and says that England are ready for the challenge.

"They obviously pose a big threat," Mitchell commented.

"We've had a good look at them and they've got big back, big forwards but we've analysed them and we're pretty sure we can be a threat too.

"We're pretty confident in ourselves and I'm just really looking forward to Sunday, it should be a really good game."

Following in fellow Saints Harry Mallinder's footsteps at the tournament, under who's captaincy England U20s claimed the title last year, Mitchell says that to win and do the double would be an incredible achievement.

"It would be massive. Obviously I've watched all the previous years in the past and seen what it means to win a World Cup.

"To win would be absolutely massive. All the lads are buzzing off each other in the camp and we're really looking forward to the final.

"And if we win it, it would be an incredible experience and something we'd definitely never forget."

The Rugby World U20 Championship Final between England and New Zealand is being broadcast on ITV 4 live from 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

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