Thomas urges U20s to push on to the next level

AS the anticipation of the new season builds, Haydn Thomas has praised the England Under-20s squad for their impressive talent and potential.

- MARK STEVENS

Part and parcel of England's coaching team during their victorious U20s World Championship success in South Africa this summer, Thomas believes there is now a glut of performers destined to make their mark on the big stage.

In what was a dominant tournament from start to finish from Mark Mapletoft's side, England denied France a fourth championship in a row as they themselves completed a Six Nations and World Championship double with a 2113 victory in Cape Town.

Tries from Joe Bailey and Arthur Green, coupled with the boot of Sean Kerr, proved enough for England to claim the crown for the first time since 2016.

For Thomas and his fellow coaches - it was a fitting finale to a season in which England's youngsters came alive and underlined their burgeoning talent to the masses.

"It's been a fantastic year working with them," said Thomas, right, England's defence coach. "It obviously started with the Six Nations, then we had a tour of Georgia for ten days, before going to the World Cup, which was the icing on the cake.

"To go through the whole tournament and win every game, it was an incredible journey and massively enjoyable for all of us. We were out there for 30 days, not much time off, but at no point did you feel like a drag.