England U20s head coach Mark Mapletoft is gearing up for a fierce scrum battle today as his side’s pack goes toe to toe with the mammoth Georgian forwards in the build-up to this summer’s World Championship.
Georgia caught England off guard in their warm up matches in Tbisili last year with Mapletoft’s first game in charge ending in a narrow 41-36 victory, before coming unstuck just a few days later in a 40-38 loss which resulted in a pitch invasion from the passionate Georgian fanbase.
Mapletoft told The Rugby Paper: “It’s always good for the lads to experience different things. Only 10 lads were out here last year, so they are in a good position to talk to the lads about what it’s going to be like.
“Nobody had been out here before last year, so we weren’t sure what to expect culturally, what the weather was going to be like and how good Georgia were. The lads were shocked at how good they were in certain aspects of the game. We were definitely lacking in certain areas which the lads have flagged up this year.
“We feel more prepared for what’s coming. Hopefully we’ll be in a good position to move forward and develop what we did well in the Six Nations.”
Georgia possess quick electrifying backs that punished England last year and while Mapletoft is looking forward to the battle of the packs, he says the home side can’t be underestimated as a one trick pony.
He added: “Lineouts and scrums have been real strengths of ours, both have been excellent through the spring. It’ll be interesting to see how we go compared to them and if we can adapt if our forwards don’t get the dominate that maybe they expect.
“They caught us out us out in transition last year. Whilst perception is Georgia like to go from set piece to set piece, when given a chance they scored some really nice tries. But most of their stuff came through our ill-discipline and their set piece platform.”
Finn Carnduff resumes captaincy responsibilities for the pathway side, leading out 12 of the starting 15 players that secured the U20s Six Nations title against France back in March.
Saracens winger Angus Hall is the only uncapped player in the starting XV having registered two tries for the U20s in their previous warm-up against Coventry.
Hall has five caps for the U18s and featured in the two recent U19 outings against France and Italy, and is one of 27 of 30 touring squad members having U17, U18 or U19 caps to their name.
Mapletoft’s replacements bench includes nine U20 Six Nations victors as well as uncapped players Cameron Miell, Ollie Allan and Charlie Myall of Leicester Tigers, George Timmins (Bath) and Saracens’ Jack Bracken.
The second of the uncapped tests takes place at the Avchala Stadium on Wednesday 12th June before England kick off their World Championship campaign against Argentina on Saturday June 29.
ENGLAND: Redshaw, Cousins, Spencer, Kerr, Hall, Makepeace-Cubitt, McParland; Opoku-Fordjour, Wright, Sela, Bailey, Kpoku, Carnduff (c), Pollock, Michelow
Replacements: Isaacs, Miell, Fasogbon, Halliwell, Sodeke, Cuckson, James, Timmins, Allan, Bellamy, Myall, Jones, Bracken, Wills, Waghorn
