ANDY Short is heading to Italy determined to help England Under 20s bring an end to their Baby Blacks hoodoo at the impending Junior World Championships.

The up-and-coming New Zealanders, who have won the showpiece tournament every year since its inception in 2008, once again start as red-hot favourites to take this year’s crown.

England finished as runners-up to the junior All Blacks in both of the first two competitions — with Miles Benjamin featuring in 2008 and Graham Kitchener in 2009 — but the Red Roses had to settle for fourth spot last year.

However, Warriors’ academy-produced centre Short, who along with Matt Kvesic will be flying the Worcester flag for their country this time around, believes the current crop of England youngsters have the best chance of springing a surprise.

He said: “Matt and I chatted with Kitch and Miles, who have both played in the JWC before, at our recent team barbecue — because they are still involved with the England teams, they weren’t drinking either, so we stuck together getting some stick off the other boys!

“They both lost in the final to New Zealand and were saying just how fit and fast they are, but people say our current under 20s side has the best chance of beating the Kiwis in a long time.

“Our aim is to get to the final and to beat the Kiwis, but we have to first get through the group and then we would probably have to beat Australia in the semi-final — that would be the only time we could meet New Zealand, in the final.”

England kick-off next month’s tournament with a clash againt former Warriors boss Mike Ruddock’s Ireland under 20s, before completing their Pool ‘C’ matches with games against Scotland and South Africa.

Short added: “It will be good to catch up with Mike again - Matt and I sat down with him for about half-an-hour and chatted after the under 20s Six Nations. That won’t matter when we get out on the pitch though — I don’t think it will even be going through our minds.

“We will be taking it game by game, but we definitely have a score to settle with the Baby Blacks — all we want to do is to beat them in the final. We have to beat the other teams first, obviously, but the Kiwis have won all of the Junior World Championships.”

England under 20s squad: Forwards — Bower (Leicester Tigers), Britton (Gloucester), Buchanan, Collier (both Harlequins), Everard (Leicester Tigers), Gray (Newcastle Falcons), Jones (Wasps), Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Matthews (Harlequins), Thomas (Sale Sharks), Twomey (Harlequins), Haywood (Northampton Saints), Vunipola (Bristol), Launchbury (Wasps).

Backs: Cook (Bath), Daly (Wasps), Farrell (Saracens), Ford (Leicester Tig-ers), Joseph (London Irish), Mills (Glou-cester), Ransom (Saracens), Robson (Gloucester), Short (Worcester Warriors), Wade (Wasps), Armitage), Yarde (both London Irish).