Twickenham is looking to arrange up to four England A fixtures in the coming years following the resurrection of the side this season.
Portugal are the opponents at Welford Road next Sunday, fresh from their spirited showing in the France World Cup, and the Rugby Football Union is looking to use the A side to help developing unions.
“We have been pushing for this for a long time,” said Conor O’Shea, the RFU‘s director of performance. “The bridge between the Under-20s and England is big and we believe we have a special group of players coming through.
“Players spend a lot of time together between the ages of 17 and 20 and then lose that connection and ability to test themselves in a different environment. Portugal is the first of a number of games we will have and we are close to confirming more.
“One would be in the fallow week of the Six Nations, another in the autumn and there is space at the end of the season. We are talking to other countries and this is a massively important stepping stone for players as we look to improve depth.
“We are also mindful that we do not want to overplay players, but we do not have many bridges. The purpose of this is performance – international rugby is a different kettle of fish.
“Players are competitive animals and want to put best foot forward saying pick me. Representing their country at home against a team that did brilliantly in the World Cup is a way to do that.”
O’Shea revealed that the RFU had signed an agreement with an emerging union, as yet unnamed, to have a close collaboration at all levels, from the Under-20s and women’s to the A team.
“We have a duty to develop other countries,” he said. “We will organise some A game against other tier one nations, but we will be running matches like Portugal as well. It is our responsibility to do so.”
Five of the A squad are dual qualified, from New Zealand-born prop Josh Iosefa-Scott and Greg Fisilau and Rekeiti Ma’asi White, who are sons of former Tonga internationals, to the scrum-halves Caelan Englefield, an Ireland Under-19 international, and Harry Randall, who will be eligible for Wales in 2025 when it will be three years since his last England cap.
Playing for an A side commits a player to that country.
“This is not about capture,” said O’Shea. “It is the right time to being back the A side with the Premiership down to 10 teams and no overload on players.
“This was the only weekend we could do it this season and we are just glad to get it up and running.
“The aim is to have three or four matches during the international windows and it is a good opportunity for coaches as well as players. How do you get a team in good shape to play? It is no Barbarians.
“It has been a tough time for everyone because of Covid. Every union is still feeling the financial after-effects and it has been tough to take clubs closing.
“I am an optimistic person and know the work that is being done on the pathway to get some pretty special players coming through. There is talent in the Premiership, but we are a long way from optimising it.
“This is not about spotting talent but giving it an opportunity. We have to make sure that does not happen by accident. Rugby cannot keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.
“We need a vibrant and commercial second tier that can act as a bridge. We have an alignment with the Championship clubs and we have set out a road map.”
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