HOST club pair Zach Kibirige and Scott Wilson are the only players from north of Leicester in the England Under 20s side to face Wales in tomorrow’s Six Nations clash at Kingston Park, Newcastle.

Yarm School product Kibirige will again be on the right wing, with Wilson at tight head prop as England attempt to repeat their 23-15 win against Wales in June’s IRB Junior World Championship final.

Head coach Nick Walshe said: “We’ve made a good start. It was disappointing to lose in France but we bounced back with good wins against Scotland and Ireland. The positive thing is that we still feel there is more to come.

“We’re really pleased to be up here in Newcastle and can’t wait to get out there in front of a good crowd.”

The match will be televised live on Sky Sports with (7.45ko).

  • Newcastle Falcons prop Kieran Brookes has been suspended for six weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of acts contrary to good sportsmanship.

He was cited for physical abuse of a match official for making contact with referee Greg Garner in the Aviva Premiership match against Leicester Tigers on Sunday.

His ban runs until April 20.

  • Durham School’s head of rugby Ben Mason believes that the loss of captain Ruari Bell to injury this season has helped to galvanise his team.

Durham have reached the semi-finals of the NatWest Schools Under 18 Cup in Bell’s absence and they face Warwick School in the opening semi-final at Saracens’ Allianz Park on Saturday for a place in the final at Twickenham on March 29.

“We lost our captain Ruari before the Stonyhurst game, so everyone has had to pull together and step up as he is someone the lads have looked up to since year seven,” Mason said.

“Other than that we’re in good shape. We’ve got a couple of buses making the trip.

They’ll be leaving the school at 5am for the noon kick-off and we’re absolutely chuffed they’re coming to support us.

We also have an old boys community in the city that will hopefully come to support as well.

“On the fast surface at Allianz Park, I’m sure both sides will be looking to play a similar style of rugby.”

  • England Women’s captain Katy McLean, of Darlington Mowden Sharks, says her side are confident ahead of their penultimate Six Nations clash against Wales at Twickenham Stoop tomorrow (7:30pm).

After two victories and one defeat, McLean knows England must win and hope France come unstuck over the next two weeks.

“The girls are in a really good place,” said the fly-half.

“We certainly improved in most aspects in the game against Ireland but we still know we aren’t perfect and there are things to work on.”

McLean’s Mowden teammate, lock Tamara Taylor, has been recalled to the starting line-up.

  • Middlesbrough prop Lewis Boyce, now with the Leeds Academy, is in the England Under 18 team to face Scotland at Hamilton on Sunday.

The game is England’s first international of the season as they build towards the annual FIRA/AER European Championship in April.