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Tigers wing Cobden makes debut against Japan
Thursday June 4, 2009

JACK COBDEN will win his first England Under 20 cap in the opening game of the 2009 IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship.

The Leicester Tigers wing hadn't figured in the squad for the RBS Six Nations - and his call to take part in last month's training camp at Loughborough came out of the blue.

England had been monitoring his form on loan at Nottingham and after Seb Stegmann was ruled out of the tournament through injury Cobden was added to the ranks at last month's training camp in Loughborough.

He starts against host nation Japan tomorrow (11am BST) alongside London Irish full back Tom Homer and Leicester Tigers scrum half Ben Youngs, who return to the side after Guinness Premiership duty ruled them out of the Six Nations.

England are second seeds going into the tournament and play further Pool B games against Scotland (June 9) and Samoa (June 13) before the knock-out stages on June 17 and 21.

"I'm really pleased for Jack," said coach Mark Mapletoft. "He's had a good season at Nottingham and we'd always been keeping an eye on him."

Cobden, who learned the game at Lichfield, also lines up with teammate and housemate Greig Tonks, another Leicester player at Nottingham under the dual-registration scheme.

"I was at Nottingham on loan and at the start of the season I was just trying to break into the team there," said Cobden.

"But I managed to get a place on the wing and Glen Delaney, the coach there, has helped bring me on a lot and given me the chance to play.

"I scored 15 tries in 21 games at the end of the season and missed a few other games because of an ankle injury. Playing week-in, week-out has been really good for my confidence.

"I knew about the Under 20 set-up from Greig Tonks, who I share a house with, but when I was asked to go to the training camp at Loughborough it was still a massive shock.

"Mark Mapletoft said that if I had a good week I'd be on the plane to Japan and I think I did well in difficult circumstances at Loughborough.

"I came in on the Wednesday and we played a training game on the Wednesday evening, without really knowing any calls or patterns. I just had to learn them all and fit in as best as I could and I think I've done that well.

"I can't wait to play now and I'm really looking forward to it. It's an honour to play for your country and now it's just a question of doing the best I can against Japan."

Long wait over for Fearns
Thursday June 4, 2009


CARL FERNS Fearns makes a long awaited first start for England's Under 20 side in the opening game of the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship in Tokyo.

The Sale Sharks No.8 captained his country at Under 18 level but missed the whole of the 2007/08 season following a knee reconstruction.

This term Guinness Premiership commitments at Edgeley Park restricted him to one appearance off the bench against Ireland and the Scouser will bring plenty of top-flight experience into tomorrow's game against hosts Japan (11am BST).

Elsewhere England have called up London Irish full-back Tom Homer and Leicester Tigers scrum half Ben Youngs, who were recalled by their clubs after the opening rounds of this year's Six Nations.

"It's great to make my first ever start," said Fearns.

"Two years ago I injured my knee and then I was kept back by my club in the Six Nations. I managed to get 20 minutes against Ireland but that was it and that's why this is such a massive thing because I missed out last time round."

There was formidable competition for back row places at Sale Sharks last season with international stars Sebastian Chabal, Jason White, Chris Jones and Juan Fernandez Lobbe all pushing for inclusion each week.

But despite missing the whole of the previous season, the 20-year-old from Crosby on the fringes of Liverpool forced his way into the first team squad to make 15 appearances in all, including five minutes on the pitch as a replacement hooker against Cardiff Blues.

"I've enjoyed this season and wasn't expecting the first year coming back from injury to get as much Premiership and Heineken Cup experience as I did. In total I managed 10 in the Premiership, two Heineken Cup and three in the EDF Energy Cup. I even had to throw in at two lineouts as a hooker against Cardiff!

"I've played all across the back row for Sale, played seven against Northampton but probably my favourite position at age-group level is eight and I'd like to think I might end up there in the Premiership."

England coach Mark Mapletoft added: "If you'd told me at the start of last year he'd have to wait until the start of the 2009 Junior World Championships I'd have laughed at you," said England coach Mark Mapletoft.

"He's had a catalogue of injuries but his unavailability this season means he's added to his experience.

"He'll bring a real physical edge. He's hungry for it and people want to follow him. He sets high standards and I know how much he's looking forward to imposing himself."

As are England, who follow the Pool B opener against Japan by taking on Scotland (June 9) and Samoa (June 13) in Tokyo before the knock-out stages on June 17 and June 21.

The second seeds have 15 players who have experience in the Premiership and others - like wings Jack Cobden (Leicester Tigers) and George Lowe (Harlequins) - who have scored a hatful of tries on loan in National One for Nottingham and Esher.

"I think we've got a great chance here," said Fearns, who turned down an offer from St Helen's as a teenager to stay in rugby union.

"We've got a lot of Premiership experience and each player brings so many different qualities. If we get it all together then we've got to be in with a shout."

Friday June 5, 2009
Issued by Simon Mills

England U20 43 Japan U20 0

ENGLAND opened their IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship campaign with a fluent victory over Japan despite being reduced to 13 men during the second half.

Harlequins prop Joe Marler was dismissed for striking at the start of the second half by Scottish referee Peter Allan and front row colleague Bob Baker (London Wasps) spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin for handling on the floor.

Disciplinary problems aside, England looked slick and efficient in the teeming Tokyo rain to run in six tries, with Josh Ovens (Bath), Chris York (Harlequins), Luke Eves (Bristol), George Lowe (Harlequins) Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks) and Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) all touching down.

Full back Tom Homer (London Irish) missed just one shot at goal all night, adding five conversions and a penalty, and keeping the opposition scoreless is an indication of how well England scrambled and reorganised in defence.

Earlier they handed a debut to Leicester Tigers wing Jack Cobden and a first start to highly-rated Sale Sharks No.8 Fearns, whose representative career has been endlessly disrupted by injuries and Premiership calls, while Gloucester scrum half Dave Lewis won a first cap off the bench after recovering from a broken ankle sustained immediately before the start of England's Six Nations campaign.

Of the new boys, Cobden was liveliest in the opening 10 minutes when England were making unforced errors before tightening up their game on a humid evening.

Captain Eves was denied when Rory Clegg chipped through the defence with scrum half Hayat Yokoyama covering across, while Fearns was a positive influence all over the pitch.

It was his back row colleagues, though, who set England on their way after 15 minutes. Ovens's break was taken on by Clegg and the Bath flanker was on hand again to spot an opening round the side of a ruck to force his way over.

Homer added a fine conversion, then a penalty at the end of the first quarter before some more direct build-up play was finished off by York with Homer again adding the extra points.

Japan staged a brief revival after that but were picked off from first phase with the try of the game from Eves two minutes before the break.

The skipper started from deep and his angle inside Clegg flummoxed the midfield defenders, giving him room to break the line then curve away from the cover and slide over at the posts. Homer made it four out of four to secure a 24-0 interval lead.

The complexion of the game changed, though, when Marler was sent off after less than 30 seconds of the second half. It forced England into an immediate reshuffle - Ben Moon on for York - and they were briefly under pressure on their own line.

The siege was lifted by Clegg, though, who broke from deep and released Lowe on a long run for the line, Homer's conversion making it 31-0, and Japan were punished further by England's seven-man pack in the 53rd minute when Fearns picked up from the base and drove over.

They were reduced to 13 men when Baker was yellow-carded for infringing on the floor before he returned and Lawes arrived to help close out the game.

The giant Northampton lock popped up in midfield after England had rumbled up the right and nimbly strolled over between the final two defenders for his first try for the team.

England U20: Tom Homer (London Irish); George Lowe (Harlequins), Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby), Greig Tonks (Leicester Tigers), Jack Cobden (Leicester Tigers); Rory Clegg (Newcastle Falcons), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Bob Baker (London Wasps), Dan Williams (Gloucester Rugby), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Chris York (Harlequins), Josh Ovens (Bath Rugby), Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks).

Replacements: James Clark (London Irish) for George 51, Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs) for York 42, Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) for Fearns 63, Dave Lewis (Gloucester Rugby) for Youngs 47, Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons) for Tonks 50-62, for Clegg 62, Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby) for Eves 41, Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors) for Gaskell 71.

Scorers: Tries: Ovens, York, Eves, Lowe, Fearns, Lawes. Conversions: Homer 5. Penalty: Homer.
Sent off: Marler 41. Yellow card: Baker 58.


Japan U20: Tsuyoshi Iguchi; Tomohiro Shoukai, Kenta Nakasone, Aisea Havea, Shohei Toyoshima; Yoshikaszu Morita, Hayata Yokoyama; Kohei Yoshida, Ryohei Arita (captain), Shinsuke Ono, Ryuta Yasui, Yoshiki Niizeki, Yuta Onodera, Kouta Yamashita, Michiro Takai.
Replacements: Ryotaro Suzuki, Keita Inagaki, Hidetatu Tuboi, Kodai Matsuhashi, Takehito Namekawa, Harumichi Tatekawa, Naoya Minamihashi

Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland). Attendance: 9120