NEWS EXTRA
ALAN Dickens has named six Northampton players in his first squad since becoming England U20s coach.
Dickens left his role as Saints defence coach to join the RFU on Tuesday and replaces Steve Bates, who left the role in July following England's fifth place at the Junior World Cup.
Dickens selected a 45- man group to attend last week's training camp at Bisham Abbey – among them young Saints Tommy Freeman, Josh Gillespie, Emmanuel Iyogun, Ollie Newman, Ollie Sleightholme and JJ Tonks.
Dickens will announce his 32-elite player squad in January ahead of the start of the Six Nations. England begin against France on February 1.
Dickens, 43, a former Sale, Leeds, Saracens and Northampton scrum-half, has been involved in the coaching set-up at Franklin's Gardens since retiring as a player in 2010.
He coached at all levels at the club including academy manager and interim head coach, and in 2016 toured South Africa as defence coach with England Saxons.
Dickens said: “I'm thrilled to take on this important role with the RFU. The most exciting thing for me is seeing young players progress within their clubs, and ultimately then into the England first team squad.
“I've felt real pride in recent years seeing young Northampton players make the step up to international level.”
Bisham Abbey training squad:
Lennox Anyanwu (Harlequins), Alfie Barbeary (Wasps), George Barton (Gloucester), Harvey Beaton (Saracens), Joseph Browning (Leicester), Richard Capstick (Exeter), Joseph Carpenter (Sale), Jack Clement (Gloucester), Phil Cokanasiga (London Irish), Tom Curtis (Sale), Theodor Dan (Saracens), Connor Doherty (Sale), Ben Donnell (London Irish), Callum Ford (Sale), Thomas Freeman (Northampton), Josh Gillespie (Northampton), Josh Gray (Gloucester), Luke Green (London Irish), Gabriel Hamer- Webb (Bath), George Hammond (Harlequins), Will Haydon-Wood (Newcastle), Josh Hodge (Newcastle), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton), Barrie Karea (Exeter), George Martin (Leicester), Sam Maunder (Exeter), Nahum Merigan (Bath), Chunya Munga (London Irish), Zachery Nearchou (Wasps), Oliver Newman (Northampton), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Raphael Quirke (Sale), Sam Riley (Harlequins), Tom Roebuck (Sale), Fin Rossiter (London Irish), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Oliver Stonham (Saracens), Hugh Tizard (Harlequins), Jarett Tonks (Northampton), Rusitate Tuima (Exeter), Jack Van Poortvliet (Leicester), Manu Vunipola (Saracens), Charlie Watson (Saracens),
James Whitcombe (Leicester)
