I want the lad to feel excited

Ben Jaycock speaks to Will Parkin, the 30-year-old England U18s coach who is set for his first involvement with the U20s as their attack and backs coach for their Junior World Cup title defence

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The U20s World Championship is only a week away now, how are plans shaping up?

All good. This is my first proper camp with the boys, having only recently come into the role. We've made some changes from the Six Nations, identified areas to work on ahead of the World Cup, and are focused on supporting player development while aiming for results. The start has been promising, especially considering many lads are fairly new and have picked things up well.

How does this set-up differ from the Under-18s? What are the key differences you've noticed?

There's not a huge difference. Since joining the RFU three years ago after coaching the Northampton Saints Academy, we've really aligned the pathway from Under-18s into Under-20s to make it a smooth transition. The biggest difference is that the lads in the Under-20s tend to absorb information quicker and have a few more years of life experience.

Many of the best players at this age are already full-time with clubs, so their development is a bit further along. Overall, it's been a real success to have the pathway aligned like this.

Has there been any disappointment in the group after finishing second in the Six Nations with that defeat to Wales?

They are disappointed, sure, but there's a real hunger coming into this camp, especially from those who weren't involved in the Six Nations.

Plus, several players who did feature aren't here due to injury, so it feels like a fresh group with fresh motivation. The focus is now on our prep and flying out to Italy for the World Cup without looking back.

How would you sum up your coaching style?