Bath skipper Spencer back for England, Next Gen fixtures released

Back row Guy Pepper is again the only Bath Rugby player in the England starting XV – this time for the Nations Championship Round 3 match against Argentina on Saturday 18th July.

Bath U18 will again play home games here at Allington Fields, Chippenham RFC’s headquarters, during the PREM Next Gen’s new season. But their opening match of the campaign will be at a neutral venue | Photo © Richard Briggs

England head coach Steve Borthwick has named an unchanged starting XV for the game at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero (kick-off at 8.10pm UK time).

However, Blue, Black & White skipper and scrum-half Ben Spencer has been named on the bench as one of two changes to the replacements following the 73-8 victory over Fiji on Saturday 11th July.

Borthwick said: “We’re excited by the challenge of playing Los Pumas in Santiago del Estero.

“We expect a fantastic atmosphere with passionate home support. It promises to be a great occasion, and one the players are excited to embrace.”

England starting XV: 1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), 2 Jamie George (Saracens), 3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), 4 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), 5 George Martin (Saracens), 6 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), 7 Guy Pepper (Bath), 8 Ben Earl (Saracens), 9 Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), 12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), 14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), 15 Marcus Smith (Harlequins).

England replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), 17 Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), 19 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 20 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), 21 Ben Spencer (Bath), 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), 23 Noah Caluori (Saracens).

Bath back row Josh Bayliss is in a much-changed Scotland starting XV for the Nations Championship Round 3 fixture against Fiji on 18th July.

Bayliss, a try-scorer against South Africa in Round 2 on 11th July and one of three vice-captains for the clash with the Pacific Islanders, is named at blindside flanker.

Although the match is classed as a Fiji home game, it will be played at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh, kicking-off at 2.10pm.

Scotland starting XV: 1 Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), 2 Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors), 3 D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby), 4 Jonny Gray (USA Perpignan), 5 Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors), 6 Josh Bayliss  (Bath), 7 Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby), 8 Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 9 George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), 10 Fergus Burke (Saracens), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby), 12 Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), 15 Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears).

Scotland replacements: 16 Seb Stephen (Glasgow Warriors), 17 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 18 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 19 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 20 Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), 21 Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby), 22 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), 23 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors).

Bath wings Tyler Offiah and Sam Winters are in the England U20 starting XV for the World Rugby Junior World Championship third-place play-off final against New Zealand U20 in Georgia on 18th July (kick-off at 3pm UK time).

England U20 starting XV: 1 Oliver Scola (Northampton Saints), 2 Jimmy Staples (Harlequins), 3 Ollie Streeter (Harlequins), 4 Elliot Williams (Harlequins), 5 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints), 6 Tate Williams (Harlequins), 7 Jack Lewis (Northampton Saints), 8 George Marsh (Leicester Tigers), 9 Jonny Weimann (Northampton Saints), 10 Hugh Shields (Northampton Saints), 11 Sam Winters (Bath), 12 Finn Keylock (Saracens), 13 Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs), 14 Tyler Offiah (Bath), 15 George Pearson (Leicester Tigers).

England U20 replacements: 16 Jerold Gorleku (Harlequins), 17 Alan Poku (Saracens), 18 Sonny Tonga’uiha (Northampton Saints), 19 Freddie Ogden-Metherell (Gloucester Rugby), 20 Kealan Freeman-Price (Gloucester Rugby), 21 Lucas Friday (Harlequins), 22 Will Knight (Gloucester Rugby), 23 Zac Finch (Saracens).

Andy Titterrell, England U20 head coach, said: “The group has earned this opportunity through the work they’ve put in across the tournament, and the commitment shown by players and staff to build strong connections, take ownership of their development and support one another every step of the way has been imperative.

“We know New Zealand will provide another huge test but there’s a real belief within our team and a unity in how we’ve prepared, with everyone aligned on finishing the competition strongly.

“This fixture is a chance to bring together everything we’ve worked on as a team and deliver a performance that reflects who we are and what we’ve built throughout the Championship.”

Bath trio Oscar Thomas, Alex Ridgway and Bailey Cutts will be on the bench for Wales U20 in their Junior World Championship fifth-place play-off final against Scotland U20 in Georgia this evening, Friday 17th July (kick-off at 5.30pm UK time).

Wales U20 starting XV: 1 George Leyland, 2 Tom Howe, 3 ?Jac Pritchard, 4 Will Evans, 5 Osian Williams, 6 Tom Cottle, 7 Caio James, 8 Deian Gwynne, 9 Sion Davies, 10 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 11 Tom Bowen, 12 ?Steff Emanuel, 13 Osian Darwin-Lewis, 14 Rhys Cummings, 15 Lewis Edwards.

Wales U20 replacements: 16 Oscar Thomas, 17 Hudson Nevin, 18 Yestyn Cook, 19 Alex Ridgway, 20 Sam Morgan, 21 Cai Gealy, 22 Lloyd Lucas, 23 Bailey Cutts.

And Bath’s Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi is in the starting XV for Italy U20’s Junior World Championship ninth-place play-off final against Ireland U20 in Georgia on 18th July (kick-off at 5.30pm UK time).

Italy U20 starting XV: 1 Emiliano Mastropasqua, 2 Valerio Pelli, 3 Erik Meroi, 4 Simone Fardin, 5 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, 6 Antony Italo Miranda, 7 Davide Sette, 8 Jaheim Noel Wilson, 9 Mattia Andretti, 10 Roberto Fasti, 11 Luca Rossi, 12 Riccardo Casarin, 13 Giacomo Falchetto, 14 Luca de Novellis, 15 Pietro Celi.

Italy U20 replacements: 16 Ettore Dinarte, 17 Giacomo Messori, 18 Luca Trevisan, 19 Fabio Salvanti, 20 Carlo Antonio Bianchi, 21 Nikolaj Varotto, 22 Alessandro Ragusi, 23 Alessio Scaramazza.

Bath U18 will begin their 2026-27 Defender PREM Next Gen campaign by taking on Newcastle Red Bulls at neutral Malvern College, Worcestershire, on Wednesday 5th August (3pm).

The Blue, Black & White’s first home game will be in Round 3, against Northampton Saints at Allington Fields, Chippenham RFC, on Saturday 22nd August (1pm).

Bath’s 2026-27 Defender PREM Next Gen fixtures:

August: 5 Newcastle Red Bulls (N, Malvern College, 3pm), 15 Harlequins (A, Gordon’s School, West End, 2.30pm), 22 Northampton Saints (H, Allington Fields, 1pm).

October: 24/25 Bristol Bears (A, venue and kick-off TBC).

January: 2 Gloucester Rugby (A, Hartpury Stadium, 1pm), 9 Leicester Tigers (A, Beaumont Park, 2pm), 16/17 Saracens (H, Allington Fields, kick-off TBC), 23 Exeter Chiefs (H, Allington Fields, noon).