Youngs, who made his England debut as a replacement in last season’s Six Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield, has been named in Martin Johnson’s starting XV to kick-off this season’s Championship.
He is joined in the team by Leicester Tigers team-mates Dan Cole, Louis Deacon and Toby Flood. Deacon comes in for Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) in the second row in one of three changes to the side beaten 21-11 by South Africa in November.
The other changes see Tom Wood (Northampton Saints) come in for Tom Croft for his first England cap and James Haskell (Stade Francais) replace Lewis Moody (Bath Rugby).
England will be captained by 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall (Gloucester Rugby), who leads the side out for the first time.
Returning on the bench are Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) and Joe Worsley (London Wasps) in place of Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks) and Hendre Fourie (Leeds Carnegie).
Prop Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester Rugby), scrum half Joe Simpson (London Wasps) and full back Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby) have been released to join the England Saxons squad preparing to play Ireland A in Belfast on Friday.
The other players in the squad who have returned to their clubs are Fourie, George Chuter (Leicester Tigers), George Skivington (Leicester Tigers), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks) and David Strettle (Saracens).
England (v Wales, Millennium Stadium, Friday 7.45pm)
15 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
14 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
13 Mike Tindall (Gloucester Rugby
12 Shontayne Hape (Bath Rugby)
11 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks)
10 Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1 Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4 Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers)
5 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6 Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
7 James Haskell (Stade Francais)
8 Nick Easter (Harlequins)
Replacements
16 Steve Thompson (Leeds Carnegie)
17 David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
18 Simon Shaw (London Wasps)
19 Joe Worsley (London Wasps)
20 Danny Care (Harlequins)
21 Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon)
22 Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby)
Wales 15 James Hook, 14 Morgan Stoddart, 13 Jamie Roberts, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips, 1 Paul James, 2 Matthew Rees, 3 Craig Mitchell, 4 Bradley Davies, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton, 8 Andy Powell Replacements 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 John Yapp, 18 Ryan Jones, 19 Jonathan Thomas, 20 Dwayne Peel, 21 Rhys Priestland, 22 Lee Byrne
