England Under-18’s head coach John Fletcher is challenging his new blood to prove they are worthy to wear the Red Rose on their chest when they travel to Ireland.
Fletcher has presented a number of new players with a golden opportunity to stake their claim as his side clash with Ireland’s juniors in Dublin on December 30.
Donnybrook Stadium will host this qualifying match for the FIRA-AER Under-18 European Championships, with the finals held in Tarbes, France next April.
England must register one win from their two qualifiers to secure a place in the elite group of the Championships, and face Scotland at Headingley in what could be a crucial match on March 27.
Failure to advance as one of the top four nations would mean England would have to play in a secondary competition against weaker European sides.
But after securing their third straight RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam victory in 2010, former Newcastle Falcons coach Fletcher is determined to finish the calendar year on a winning note and take a huge step towards qualifying as one of the elite four nations.
“Ireland are a good side and Dublin is never an easy place to play, but I think we’ll be well prepared,” said Fletcher.
“We’ve got a lot of new players in the squad this season.
“It’s our first real chance to see a lot of these lads in a competitive environment and it’ll be interesting to see how they get on.”
