Winning start for Chris Walker (From Craven Herald)

Winning start for Chris Walker

10:24pm Wednesday 21st July 2010 in

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Settle’s Chris Walker has made a fine start to his tenure as England Under-18 rugby union captain.

They have won the first two matches of their Southern Africa tour under his leadership, defeating a Namibia Invitation XV 35-10 in East London on Saturday and, despite making ten changes, following that with a 66-19 win over France in George on Tuesday.

This was England’s 19th straight international victory stretching back to the summer of 2007, Newcastle fly half Joel Hodgson scoring a hat-trick of tries, as they maintained the whip hand over the French, who they beat 33-16 at Newbury in February with only seven of this week’s starters.

England scored ten tries in all on Tuesday.

Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley pupil Walker hopes that these two victories will bring him closer to realising a dream.

The Leeds Carnegie flanker said: “From a little kid, my ambition has always been to play at the highest level.

“Seeing the likes of Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Ben Foden making the step up so early in their career is very, very inspiring for me; to think that in a couple of years maybe I could be at that level.”

They next face South Africa Under-18s on Friday in Port Elizabeth (1.25pm).