Mark Mapletoft has named the England U19 Men’s matchday squad to face Wales at the Centre for Sporting Excellence, Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly this Friday afternoon (15:00 GMT kick-off). Elliot Williams will lead the side as captain for the first time, seeking to round off the calendar year with another victory after involvement in wins over Scotland and Japan in the spring.
Former England U18 captain Williams earned his senior debut for Harlequins in the PREM Cup this term and has spent time on loan at London Scottish and Tonbridge Juddians.
Alongside Williams, George Marsh, James Pater, Oscar Talbot and Asa Stewart-Harris all boast previous U19 experience with appearances in the spring slate of fixtures against France, Japan and Scotland. 22 of the matchday 24 have also been capped at U18 level for England.
Mapletoft, Head of England Men’s Player Pathway, is supported by U20 Men’s coaches Andy Titterrell and Kevin Sorrell, as well as U18 Men’s coaches Jonathan Pendlebury and Will Parkin and pathway scrum coach, Nathan Catt.
The U19 Men’s side serves as an avenue for England Rugby pathway players to develop their skillsets with meaningful gametime on the international circuit, with fixtures also giving valuable minutes to players then eligible for selection in the forthcoming World Rugby U20 Championship.
Mark Mapletoft said: “This fixture is an important early touchpoint in our pathway campaign, with 13 U20 Elite Player Squad members involved.
“Fixtures like this help to bridge the gap between the U18 and U20 pathway teams and gives the opportunity for our squad members to rub shoulders with a wider pool of players from the England pathway system. It will also give our coaches from the U18 and U20 setups the chance to work together, share ideas and enhance the progression of our players.
“Any team that travels to Wales expects a tough test, and this will be no different. We look forward to picking up some important learnings from the camp as a whole.”
England U19 Men’s side to face Wales (includes current club/university and community club)
15 James Pater (Northampton Saints, Shelford RFC)
14 Krystof Wood (Gloucester Rugby, Bromsgrove Rugby Club)
13 Victor Worsnip (Bristol Bears, Bank of England RFC)
12 Ollie Batson (Exeter Chiefs, Exmouth RFC)
11 Charlie Lawson (Leeds Beckett University, Hughton RFC)
10 Oscar Talbot (Leicester Tigers, Barkers Butts RFC)
9 Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens, Old Albanians)
1 Alan Poku (Saracens, Ealing Trailfinders)
2 Kealan Freeman-Price (Gloucester Rugby, Drybrook RFC)
3 Harry Wright (Gloucester Rugby, Alcester)
4 Elliot Williams (c) (Harlequins)
5 Rory McKnight (Bath Rugby, Chobham RFC)
6 Charlie Bray (Sale Sharks, Preston Grasshoppers RFC)
7 Tate Williams (Harlequins, East Grinstead RFC)
8 George Marsh (Leicester Tigers, Holt RFC)
Replacements
16 Jerold Gorleku (Harlequins, Twickenham RFC)
17 Oliver Spencer (Sale Sharks, Harrogate RUFC)
18 Diamond Ayiehfor (Leicester Tigers, Old Coventrians RFC)
19 Freddie Ogden-Metherell (Gloucester Rugby, Lydney RFC)
20 Matthew Bowler (Bristol Bears, Old Albanians RFC)
21 Isaac Mears (Bath Rugby, Bath RFC)
22 Henry Lumley (Northampton Saints, Bury St. Edmunds)
23 Charlie Tamani (Northampton Saints, Bury St. Edmunds)
24 Ajay Edwards (Newcastle Red Bulls, Peterlee and Horden Rugby Club and Durham City)
England U19 Men’s 2025/26 confirmed fixtures
Wales U19 Men vs. England U19 Men – Friday 19th December 2025, 15:00 GMT KO – Ystrad Mynach
England U19 Men vs. France U19 Men – Saturday 4th April 2026, 14:00 BST KO – Castle Park, Doncaster
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