WORCESTER Warriors flanker Ted Hill will captain England under 20s in their Six Nations match against France at Exeter’s Sandy Park on Saturday (kick-off 12.05pm).

Hill, who won his first senior England cap against Japan in November, was vice-captain against Ireland in Cork last weekend but will have the honour of leading out the side on home soil.

The 19-year-old is one of four members of Warriors' academy in England’s squad alongside centre Ollie Lawrence, lock James Scott and loosehead prop Kai Owen.

Lawrence, a replacement last weekend, starts as one of three changes to the side with Scott and Owen named as replacements.

Owen has yet to play for England at any level and he has recovered from the thigh injury sustained in training which ruled him out if the Ireland trip.

The front rower made his first senior appearance for Warriors as a replacement in the memorable European Challenge Cup victory over Stade Francais in Paris in October.

England’s starting XV includes five players that faced France in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship in June.

England under 20s head coach Steve Bates said: “There was a lot of disappointment at the start of the week off the back of Friday’s result but we’ve trained really well and the players are looking forward to getting out there on Saturday and performing in front of a vocal Sandy Park crowd.

“The game against France in the final of the World Rugby U20s Championship will have a little bearing at the weekend but the nature of under 20s rugby is that it is ever evolving and players change rapidly so although a portion of our squad would have played in that final our motivation is to kick-start our Six Nations with an important victory.

“We know we didn’t look after the ball well enough last week, played from too deep and lacked a bit of organisation which you would expect from a new group at this stage in the tournament.

"So we’ve worked hard on our understanding and our team work. We’ve had a good preparation and want to go out and continue to play high-tempo, high-intensity rugby but get the balance right.

“Home advantage will be really important, we’re hoping for a large crowd and we have to get them on our side by playing some good rugby but controlling the game a little bit more. We’ve got to excite that crowd by having confidence to play what we’ve practiced because we feel that’s the best way for these guys to perform and if we do that and do that consistently the crowd will enjoy it.”

England U20s: Hodge; Sleightholme, Lawrence, Redpath, Reed; Smith, Maunder; Adkins, Dolly, Street, Kpoku, Coles, Hill (c), Hinkley, Willis.

Replacements: Atkins, Owen, Heyes, Scott, Tuima, Fox, Hardwick, de Glanville.