England Under-18s, with Leicester Tigers prop Joe Heyes at tighthead, got their summer development tour off to a winning start with a 24-8 victory over France in Stellenbosch, South Africa on Friday.
The Under-18s led 19-3 at the break through tries from Will Porter, Will Capon and Cadan Murley along with two Kieran Wilkinson conversions in a clinical first half.
France responded shortly after the break with a try from Mathis Lebel but Murley’s second score late on sealed victory.
It was the opening match of their three-game development tour in South Africa, where England will also play against Wales and South Africa Schools.
England Under-18s: Nick David (Worcester Warriors & Warwick), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks & Kirkham Grammar), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints & Bedford School), Sam Spink (Wasps & Wellington College), Cadan Murley (Harlequins, Bishop Wordsworth's School), Kieran Wilkinson (Sale Sharks & Kirkham Grammar), Will Porter (Wasps & Merchant Taylors); Tom Rowland (Bristol & Bristol Grammar), Will Capon (Bristol & Bristol Grammar), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers & Wyggeston & QEI College), Joe Tunney (Wasps & Dr Challoners), James Scott (Worcester Warriors & Malvern College), Tom Willis (Wasps & Henley College), Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester & St Peters), Sam Moore (Sale Sharks & Sedbergh School)
Replacements: George Head (Harlequins & Tonbridge School), Beck Cutting (Worcester Warriors & Bromsgrove), Nick Rigby (Worcester Warriors & Warwick), Josh Basham (London Irish & Wellington College), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs & Exeter College), Ollie Fox (Yorkshire & New College Pontefract), Cameron Redpath (Sale Sharks & Sedbergh), Tom de Glanville (Bath & Beechen Cliff)
Heyes has been included among the replacements for the second match of the tour, against Wales on Tuesday (1.15pm BST – live on S4C’s facebook page).
“It was always the plan to give everyone as much game time as we can, so we want to give every player a start out here as it’s a development tour,” said coach Peter Walton. “We want them all to have a start each before we play South Africa Schools in the final game.”
Wales opened their series with a 30-28 victory over SA Schools.
