22 hours ago
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Under-20s Six Nations: Ireland v England
Venue: Virgin Media Park, Cork Date: Thursday 30 January Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Coverage: Live connected BBC Red Button
Lucas Friday and Jack Bracken request lone look sideways for inspiration.
In July, they lined up to play France successful the under-20 World Cup last successful Cape Town.
Alongside them then, singing the anthem, were England team-mates Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Henry Pollock and Afolabi Fasogbon.
A small much than six months connected and Opoku-Fordjour has already won his archetypal elder cap, Pollock has been called up for the Six Nations and Fasogbon surely would person been, but for an untimely injury.
"They person done incredibly truly - the mode they person adapted to the Premiership and showed themselves connected large stages," Friday tells BBC Sport.
"It is testament to the squad and to age-group rugby successful England close now," adds Bracken.
As they prosecute the aforesaid pathway, Friday and Bracken tin besides look backmost for guidance.
Elite rugby is successful their household trees, conscionable a procreation behind.
Friday's begetter Mike played for Wasps and Harlequins and captained England's Sevens team.
Bracken's begetter Kyran was a scrum-half who won the past of his 51 caps for England successful the 2003 World Cup semi-final triumph implicit France.
Lucas and Jack are acold from the lone sons getting into a household concern either.
Ollie Sleightholme (son of erstwhile England helping Jon) Greg Fisilau (son of Tonga planetary Kenni), Josh Beaumont (son for erstwhile England skipper Bill), Reuben Logan (son of Scotland helping Kenny), Sonny Tonga'uiha (son of Tonga prop Soane) and Tyler Offiah (son of league fable Martin) are each playing for Premiership clubs.
In the Bath backline alone, Cameron Redpath (son of erstwhile Scotland scrum-half Bryan), Max Ojomoh (son for erstwhile England flanker Steve) and Tom de Glanville (son of erstwhile England skipper Phil) are competing for spots.
Overseas, Damian Penaud (the lad of the erstwhile France fly-half Alain) and Max Jorgensen (the lad of ex-Wallaby Peter) person followed their fathers into Test rugby.
"It is decidedly a monolithic advantage," says 19-year-old Bracken.
For him though, neither genetics oregon tactics are the astir invaluable inheritance from his father.
Instead it is the closeness to idiosyncratic who has besides experienced the affectional bumps and knocks that travel with being a promising sporting imaginable and tin connection support.
"More than thing it has been the off-pitch worldly that has been truly beneficial, conscionable processing arsenic a person, arsenic good arsenic a rugby player, and dealing with setbacks," helium adds.
"Having a genitor who knows the ins and outs of each those processes makes the modulation from amateur rugby to nonrecreational a batch easier.
"It is truly reassuring to person my dada successful that representation to usher maine through."
There are challenges that travel with a celebrated household sanction though. These are young men carrying the preconceptions and expectations of others.
"I ever get called Mike Friday's son, each time," says 18-year-old Friday with a smile.
"I privation to marque a sanction for myself arsenic well. My dada has done everything – helium was truly bully – but evidently I privation to effort and propulsion connected for myself.
"It is not astir escaping his shadow. I conscionable privation to beryllium seen arsenic my ain idiosyncratic arsenic well, not conscionable a son."
For Bracken it is astir being much than a member arsenic well. Charlie, 2 years older, is besides connected Saracens' books and has represented England under-20s successful the past.
Bracken says that being a helping alternatively than a scrum-half similar Charlie and Kyran limits comparisons, though adjacent if they bash travel helium has the content that helium could clasp his ain against his father's heyday.
"I person been shown a fewer item reels and been told my dada utilized to beryllium quicker than maine – I'm not definite that works anymore!" helium says.
"I person besides watched a fewer England games from the 2003 World Cup run. It is comic seeing however the crippled has changed truthful overmuch successful a abbreviated abstraction of time, with the velocity and the operation determination is now.
"I wonderment however bully helium would beryllium today. I'm definite helium would bash alright."
The much pressing question for galore England fans is however bully this procreation of youngsters tin go aft winning the inferior mentation of some the Six Nations and World Cup successful 2024.
Bracken, who is studying astatine Loughborough University, made his Saracens debut earlier this play successful the Premiership Cup, portion Friday appeared successful the Premiership for the archetypal clip successful December, coming disconnected the seat successful a triumph implicit Newcastle.
Among the nether 20s preparing for their Six Nations opener against Ireland connected Thursday, they are present the wise, aged heads.
"There are antithetic faces from past time, but I americium truly enjoying the vibe and brotherhood we person got going," says Bracken.
"It has astir continued from past play and built again this season."
From babes-in-arms to brothers-in-arms, they won't beryllium the past to travel their parents' stud marks towards the top.
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