England have named their Under 18 side to take on Portugal in their first game of the FIRA/AER European Championships on Friday.

Bryanston School’s Charlie Ewels captains the side from number eight, having been a regular in the second for the side, including during their victorious 2012 campaign.

Ahead of the game, he said: “We’ll give Portugal the credit and respect that they deserve, we know that it will be a difficult game, particularly as it’s the first one but we’ve prepared well and I’m confident in the players.

“Being captain is a massive honour and it’ll be amazing to lead the guys out, but the most important thing is our performance and everything else will follow on from that.”

Ewels is joined in the side by his school and Bath teammate Rory Jennings, who starts at fly half, indeed Bryanston are the only side who have more than one representative in the starting XV, reflecting the strength of the school’s rugby this season.

England U18 starting XV to play Portugal:

15 
Louis Clayton-Molloy (London Wasps & Harrow School)
14 George Perkins (Saracens & Oaklands College)
13 Lucas Slowik (Bristol Rugby & Filton College)
12 Tom Fowlie (London Irish & St Pauls Catholic College)
11 Josh Skelcey (Northampton Saints & Moulton College)
10 Rory Jennings (Bath Rugby & Bryanston School)
9 James Mitchell (Sale Sharks & Lymm School)

1 Lewis Boyce (Leeds Carnegie & Prince Henry’s Grammar)
2 Sam James (Saracens & Bishops Stortford)
3 Neale Farthing (Leicester Tigers  & Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth College)
4 Charlie Hewitt (Exeter Chiefs & Ivybridge College)
5 Josh Peters (Northampton Saints & Oundle School)
6 Matt Bolwell (Exeter Chiefs & Truro College)
7 Andrew Boyce (Worcester Warriors & Kings Worcester)
8 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby & Bryanston School) (Capt)

Replacements: 16 Jack Walker (Leeds Carnegie & Prince Henry’s Grammar)
17 Luke Chapman (Exeter Chiefs & Truro College)
18 Paul Hill (Leeds Carnegie & Prince Henry’s Grammar)
19 James Chisholm (Harlequins & Brighton College)
20 Andrew Hughes (Sale Sharks & Hartpury College)
21 Stuart Townsend (Exeter Chiefs & Ivybridge College)
22 Nick Tompkins (Saracens & Oaklands College)
23 Howard Packman (Northampton Saints & Moulton College)
24 Jordan Onjoaife (Northampton Saints & Stowe School)
25 Josh Sharp (Saracens & Oaklands College)
26 Tom Howe (London Wasps & Shiplake College)