England Under-20s coach Ian Peel believes there is plenty left to come after the reigning champions slipped to defeat in their Under-20 Six Nations opener.
England Under-20s coach Ian Peel believes there is plenty left to come after the reigning champions slipped to defeat in their Under-20 Six Nations opener.
England fell on the wrong side of a 21-15 defeat at the hands of France Under-20s on Friday night, to get their title defence off to a disappointing start.
Peel was aggrieved with the result but he knows the England squad is far from hitting its straps and saw one or two signs of what it can do.
“We’re disappointed with the result, we know that we can perform better than we did, but saying that there were parts of our game that functioned well,” said Peel.
“Our defence was excellent for large periods and I guess the exciting thing is that we know that there’s still a lot to come from this side.
“Fair play to France though – they took their chances and have come away with the win.”
Captain Callum Braley was left frustrated after the final whistle, but the honour of leading the side out allowed the 19-year-old some satisfaction.
“I think frustration probably best sums up the mood in the changing room,” he said. “We know that we can play better but the conditions were tough and we gave it our best shot.
“On a personal level it was a massive honour to lead the guys out for the first time and so long as we learn from the loss then we can take some positives.”