HIGHLY-rated Worcester Warriors back-row forward Matt Kvesic has been included in the England Under 18 squad for their international against Australia Schools at Heywood Road in Sale on December 13 (2pm).
The Worcester Sixth Form College student played for North Midlands in last season’s Midlands Under 18 Championship and went on to represent the Midlands in the divisional festival at Moseley and England Under 18s in the AER Tournament in April.
The 17-year-old became the youngest Warrior in the professional era when he came off the bench in the 66th minute of Worcester’s recent LV Cup clash with the Scarlets.
When he made his debut, he was 204 days younger than Andrew Higgins was when he played against Manchester in September 1999.
Kvesic has been named in a squad that will be seeking to extend England’s unbeaten record at this level to 18 games with their last defeat coming against Australia two years ago.
But this is a new squad with only a handful of survivors from the side that finished last season by beating South Africa 45-13 in Kimberley.
One of those returning is George Ford, the fly-half who made his first-team debut for Leicester Tigers at the age of 16 in the LV Cup last month, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a professional club game.
The others are back-row forward Billy Vunipola, who joined London Wasps from Bristol this summer and started against South Africa as a 16-year-old, and Leeds lock Dominic Barrow, who appeared against Boland on the summer tour.
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