Leicester Tigers Academy youngster George Ford will captain England Under-18s against France at Newbury on Sunday (3pm).

Ford, who played for the Tigers Development XV against Newcastle Falcons on Monday, has been named at fly-half and is joined by Tigers Academy teammate Charlie Walker, who is on the wing.

England coach John Fletcher said: “France will be tough – big aggressive forwards, quick backs. We know what they'll throw at us and last year they were very strong at Under 17 level.

“We try and develop players to play a game with a lot of threats, no matter what the opposition do. Wherever they're looking to defend we look to score somewhere else, driving, kicking, moving the ball wide.”

England Under-18 (v France at Newbury, Sunday, 3pm)
15 Ben Ransom (Tonbridge & Saracens)
14 Marland Yarde (Whitgift & London Irish)
13 Elliot Daly (Whitgift & London Wasps)
12 Ryan Mills (Hartpury Coll & Gloucester)
11 Charlie Walker (Oakham & Leicester Tigers)
10 George Ford (Rishworth & Leicester Tigers, captain)
9 Joel Hodgson (RGS Newcastle & Newcastle Falcons)
1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro Coll & Exeter Chiefs)
2 Koree Britton (Ivybridge Coll & Exeter Chiefs)
3 Anthony Brennan (Twyford CofE & London Wasps)
4 George Merrick (Whitgift & Harlequins)
5 Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry's GS Otley & Leeds Carnegie)
6 Will Skuse (Bryanston & Bath Rugby)
7 Chris Walker (Prince Henry's GS Otley & Leeds Carnegie)
8 Matt Kvesic (Worcester Sixth Form Coll & Worcester Warriors)

Replacements
16 Nick Auterac (Oaklands Coll & Saracens)
17 Nathan Morris (Sedbergh & Newcastle Falcons)
18 Kyle Sinckler (Epsom Coll & Harlequins)
19 Will Spencer (St Paul's Catholic Coll & London Wasps)
20 Sam Northcote-Green (Dulwich Coll & London Wasps)
21 Dan Robson (Hartpury Coll & Gloucester Rugby)
22 Jamie Elliott (Bedford & Northampton Saints)
23 Mark Jennings (Lymm HS & Sale Sharks)