NEWCASTLE FALCONS forward Callum Chick will enjoy a night to remember when he skippers the England Under-20s side in tomorrow’s Six Nations contest with Ireland at Kingston Park.

Chick, who plays at number eight, was part of the side that beat Italy 42-7 in Venice in their last outing, and will join Archie White and Sam Smith in the back row as he leads his country at his home stadium.

The 19-year-old played junior rugby with Ponteland, and joined Falcons’ academy at the age of 12 before graduating through the club’s Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) scheme.

Head coach Jon Callard said: “Playing our home games around the country allows us to spread the message about the youngsters England have coming through the pathway.

“It is great to come to Newcastle.  The squad are excited about the support and welcome they will receive at Kingston Park and we want to play a game that the spectators will enjoy.”

It is a big year for Under-20 rugby in the country, with the World Rugby Championship to be held in Manchester in June, and for the development of this group through the Six Nations and into the summer, a wider squad effort is required.

Callard added: “We have been in camp for three weeks now and each week we bring 27 players in to keep a good base of players up to speed.  This gives them the chance to prove themselves and also understand what we are trying to achieve and how we are developing.

“Against Italy we put some nice patterns of play together, our game understanding was stronger and our game management was better. That improvement came about from having more time together and having the experience of a good hit out against Scotland.”