James Gaskell will lead England Saxons for the first time against the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds at Exeter on Saturday (5pm).
Gaskell, 21, captained Sale Sharks last season and leads a side with an average age of just 24 years and four months at Sandy Park. It includes senior internationals Delon Armitage, Matt Banahan, Ugo Monye, Matt Mullan and Paul Doran-Jones in the starting line-up.
Centre Matt Hopper, half backs Freddie Burns and Ben Spencer, and No. 8 Thomas Waldrom feature for the Saxons for the first time with more newcomers on the bench in the shape of hooker Chris Brooker and wing Jonny May.
England Saxons:
15 Delon Armitage (London Irish)
14 Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
13 Matt Hopper (Harlequins)
12 Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers)
11 Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby)
10 Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
9 Ben Spencer (Saracens)
1 Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
2 Joe Gray (Harlequins)
3 Paul Doran-Jones (Northampton Saints)
4 Matt Garvey (London Irish)
5 George Robson (Harlequins)
6 James Gaskell (Sale Sharks, captain)
7 Andy Saull (Saracens)
8 Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers)
Replacements: 16 Chris Brooker (Harlequins), 17 Rupert Harden (Gloucester), 18 Kearnan Myall (Sale Sharks), 19 Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), 20 Paul Hodgson (London Irish), 21 Ryan Lamb (Northampton Saints), 22 Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby).
Interesting centre partnership for the Saxons. Neither are bosh merchants and both rely on speed, timing and an eye for a gap
If the big fellas in the pack blast some holes in the Irish defence, the Saxons certainly have the speed to make the most of it
Nothing to do with this game, but interestingly Joel Tomkins has been named in Sarries squad for Sunday’s LV Cup game. Another potential England star of the future.