Undefeated England U20 women to close inaugural Six Nations Summer Series against France

England under-20 women take on France tonight in their final match of the inaugural Six Nations Summer Series in Parma, Italy.

Having already defeated Ireland 33-10 and Wales 55-24, the Emerging Roses will be looking to improve on their 74-0 loss to the French in April.

Among those named in head coach LJ Lewis’ squad is the Harlequins duo of Katie Shillaker and Tyla Shirley.

Shirley has been ever-present, appearing at lock in the opening two matches, before shifting to blindside flanker tonight. 

Winger Shillaker is set to make her first start of the series, appearing off the bench against Wales, having scored three tries in her previous two pathway caps.

Adapting to the heat in Italy has been something the players have had to quickly adapt to in their opening matches.

Shirley said: “It’s heavy, it’s hot, it’s challenging. It’s all down to the mindset, you have to keep in it.

“I’m loving getting to show off my skills and why I deserve to be here.”

With matches played at Zebre Parma’s Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, a high-performance environment has been designed to help these young players grow.

Shillaker said: “It is such an amazing experience, not many people can say they have done it.

“We get given an ice bath after every training session, and we all just go in together. It’s a massive laugh. It’s little things like that that are just bringing the team together.”

Despite their youth, this is a close-knit England team, having previously already spent a large amount of time together.

Shirley said: “We’re lucky to have continuous camps. There will be three to five days each month where you can really connect with the group and learn to play together because we’re from different Premiership clubs around the country.”

Learning to adapt in these pressure environments has been a key focus for developing this young team.

Shillaker said: “Having the facilities improves everyone. Physios, doctors, and the coaches, they help us adapt to these situations with the heat. 

“I think to learn that at this age will help along the way. If you were to get a call up in New Zealand or something, you know the situation and you know how to handle it. 

“I had to drink four bottles of water before the game just to let my body be hydrated. It’s just learning all that sort of stuff now when you’re younger.”

Italian international Silvia Turani has been lending her support for her Harlequins club-mates.

Shirley said: “It was a shock when I saw her. It was so lovely. She posted it in the Harlequins group chat as well. She’s a great support, I love her.”

With one final outing in the Six Nations Summer Series left, Shillaker is determined to improve on their defeat in the spring.

She said: “I just want for us to go out and do our best. France are a very good team, but so are we.

“I think that we have the players, and we have the connections to win.”

England’s match against France kicks off at 8pm BST and is available to stream on the England Rugby YouTube channel.