England have made four changes to the team that will face France in their crucial pool encounter at the World Under-20 Championship on Wednesday.
Charlie Beckett will make his first start of the tournament, Ellis Genge and James Chisholm reclaim their places at loosehead and No8 respectively, while James Mitchell comes in at scrum-half, after Stuart Townsend was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a knee injury. Bath’s Will Homer becomes his replacement on the bench.
England comfortably won their first two matches of the tournament, overcoming Japan 59-7 and Wales 30-16, but facing the French represents a far tougher test for the reigning world champions, with the opposition having also taken maximum points from their opening Pool A fixtures. The winner of the contest, which takes place at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Vladana at 4.30pm local time, will guarantee a place in the semi-finals of the tournament, while the loser will be dependant on results from the last round of matches taking place in Pool B and Pool C.
“We are just concentrating on ourselves,” said the England head coach Jon Callard. “We are always trying to improve as a team, and develop the processes that go into being a good team, with capable and confident players. We are not worried about the outcome, that will take care of itself if we play to the best of our ability.
“I always enjoy playing against the French and watching them play. They have flair and a well drilled set piece which makes it a nice challenge for our team. Our scrum and lineout have improved game on game so to go against a strong French side will be a good test. I am expecting them to be solid up front and committed, and because of that French element of the unknown, we need to be sharp, always switched on and ready to respond to every eventuality.”
England last match against France at U20 level was a Six Nations decider in March, which England won 24-11.
