ASTON CROALL and Dave Seymour have been named in the England Under-21 squad for the clash with Ireland at Donnybrook today (Friday) kick-off 4pm.

Croall will start at tight-head prop while Seymour has been named at openside flanker as Jim Mallinder's side look to bounce back from the narrow defeat they suffered against France last time out.

The duo are currently spearheading an exciting crop of talent at Saracens, over a dozen of which have been capped at various internationals in recent weeks.

"The standard of player seems to get better every year," said Saracens Academy manager Mike Hynard. "It goes in swings and roundabouts really. You perhaps have a couple of sparse years and then all of sudden you get a real good crop coming through at the same time. We are really starting to reap the benefits of the RFU Academy structure and our work in the Herts, Kent and Essex areas. We are excited about a lot of these players and a lot of them are potential first-team players."

Hynard has particularly high hopes for Tom Mercy, the tight-head prop, who is currently anchoring the scrum for the England Under-19 side.

"He's playing for the Under-19s a year early and at the moment is playing exceptionally well in every game," said Hynard. "He's somebody we are really excited about and he's definitely one to look out for."

Hynard is also predicting big things for Adam Preocanin, the England Under-18 number eight, Richard Gill, the openside flanker from Bishop's Stortford, and, in particular, Under-16 loose-forward Andy Saull.