England’s desperate bid to bring in a new generation of powerful attackers will get a boost with the ‘A’ team set to face Australia in the autumn.
The RFU has announced that Steve Borthwick has selected the national team reserves to play the Wallabies at Stuttgart on Sunday 17 November.
The match follows England’s clash with world champions South Africa at Twickenham the previous day and comes eight days after Borthwick’s starting line-up faced Australia’s best.
There was a push to revive the tradition of the ‘A’ game, which was seen as a useful development tool in the days when a team called the ‘Saxons’ provided a springboard for rising English talent to Test rugby.
After years of such matches being shelved, England ‘A’ played Portugal at Welford Road in February, winning 91-5 against a young and under-qualified visiting side. The back-up Wallabies will provide a stiffer test.
England A, who crushed Portugal 91-5, will face Australia A in November.
Finn Baxter, 22, put in a fine performance for England against Portugal that helped convince Steve Borthwick to call him up for the senior squad, and he also performed well on the tour to New Zealand.
The ‘A’ team was resurrected from the ashes of the ‘Saxons’ team to help young players prepare for Test rugby, with former England captain Dylan Hartley once following suit.
Finn Baxter started in the home front row in Leicester and helped convince Borthwick that the Harlequins rookie was ready for his Test debut, which followed a debut in New Zealand earlier this month.
Baxter came on as a substitute in Dunedin and started against the All Blacks in Auckland, performing well in difficult conditions.
Other players who competed against Portugal were also selected for the Seniors Tour: Charlie Ewells, Joe Hayes and Harry Randall.
Before returning home from Auckland, Borthwick said he would prioritise finding a new big forward, with a particular focus on unearthing the next generation of England tightheads.
The ‘A’ match could provide a starting point for some of the junior front-row prospects who have been instrumental in helping the side reach the Under-20 World Cup final on Friday, including Sale’s Asher Opoku-Porjur, Gloucester’s Afolabi Fasogbon and Bath’s Billy Sella.
Gloucester assistant manager George Skivington will lead the England team for the Portugal fixture, while the management team for the Wallabies game will be formed by the RFU in consultation with Premiership Rugby.
Richard Wigglesworth, the current England head coach, is also a former Saxons player.
Current England and Saracens star Elliot Daley has gained valuable experience with the Saxons.
“We are delighted to confirm this match,” said Connor O’Shea, the union’s performance director.
‘England A is a great platform for England’s next generation of top players to show what they can do while representing their country. It gives Steve Borthwick and his staff the chance to see players outside of a club environment and gives players the chance to make an impression.
‘The match against Australia A will expose our players to some really strong opposition and we will be looking to secure more game time for the A team in the near future.’
