Bath Rugby’s Max Ojomoh, Vilikesa Sela and Kepueli Tuipulotu were hailed by England A head coach Mark Mapletoft after the trio turned out for their country at The Rec on Saturday 8th November.
Bath Rugby’s Vilikesa Sela, left, and Kepueli Tuipulotu, second left, sing the national anthem before England A’s match against the All Blacks XV at The Rec | Photo © Richard Briggs
Centre Ojomoh played the full 80 minutes against the All Blacks XV and was England A’s vice-captain.
And prop Sela and hooker Tuipulotu came off the bench in the final quarter of the 31-14 defeat by a powerful touring side.
At his post-match press conference, Mapletoft told the Echo: “Really enjoyed Max during the course of the week.
“I obviously go back a long way with his dad [Steve Ojomoh], back to Gloucester [playing] days. But he’s a player in his own right, and he was pestering me last year to get involved.
“Eventually he ended up playing against Ireland, went on tour in the summer, got capped. He’s a terrific ball player.
“He’s been brilliant during the week with the younger lads. Really impressed with how he’s driven that.
“He’s got an edge to him but he’s always got a smile on his face. He was instrumental today.
“We’d got young Angus [Hall] outside him, and he’s literally just turned 20. So that was a big ask for him [Ojomoh] but I thought the way he goes about his business is top drawer, and great for him to be in a leadership role here at his hometown club.
“Big ask for the two front rowers. Both 20, Billy [Sela] slightly older.
“Worked with them both now for… Billy probably four years, 18s, two years at 20s, and now into this.
“Both have got pretty high ceiling I think, and very well regarded here.
“But when you get these chances, our job is to give them opportunities. They kind of have to earn that in the first place, but when we give them a chance, they’ve got to grab it.
“And it might be tough first up but you give them another go, they show enough, and you give them another go, and then they start to move forward, and before you know it they’re part and parcel of the first-team furniture here, and they’re getting more opportunities, hopefully, with the As and beyond into the seniors. So that’s kind of how we look at it.
“I thought all of them were great. Would’ve been nice to have won, but I think overall they [the All Blacks XV] were the better team and they [the Bath trio] will have learned a hell of a lot from that.”
