England have named their teams for the opening two games of the U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival on Friday.

James Cooper’s side face Wales at 10am and Scotland at 11am it 35 minute games this Friday at Wellington College, who are hosting the Women’s Six nations Festival. They will then meet Ireland and Italy in further 35 minute games on Tuesday, before concluding the Festival with a 70 minute game against France on Saturday.

Hartpury College and Gloucester Hartpury’s Sophie McQueen will captain England throughout the tournament and the openside begins that by leading the team against Wales. Her Gloucester Hartpury teammates Millie Hyett and Daisy Aspinall start at 10 and 15 respectivaly as well.

It’s an Exeter heavy pack, with Hannah Sams at loosehead and Lucy Ward at tighthead, while Josie Plant is in the second row with Ellie Wood alongside McQueen at blindside. Completing the pack to face Wales are Worcester’s Lucy Calladine, the vice captain, Sale’s Lucie Sams, and Harlequins number 8 Annabel Meta.

In the backs Wasps’ Sam Shiels is alongside Hyett in the halfbacks, while Saracens Amelia MacDougall and Worcester’s Sarah Parry are the centre combination, with North East and Cumbria’s Emma Gerrard and Sale’s Connie Clarke on the wings.

Gloucester Hartpury duo Amelia Williams and Lucy Simpson are on the bench alongside Harlequins pair Lucy Finch and Lauren Knowler, with Bristol’s Lauren Bailey alongside.

All five start in the second game against Scotland, with Finch leading the side and, like McQueen in the first game, starting at openside. Alongside here in the back row are North East and Cumbria’s Anna Richardson and Worcester’s Haineala Lutui.

Williams and Simpson are both in the front row, with Harlequins’ Tilly Poland alongside them at tigthhead, while Yorkshire’s Bridget Campbell and Exeter’s Ellie Wood are the second row combination.

Knowler and Bailey are at inside centre and full back respectively, Knowler is partnered in the centres by Natalee Evans of Worcester, while Bailey’s back three mates are Sale’s Connie Clarke and North East and Cumbria’s Emma Gerrard. The half backs are Loughborough’s Evie Haskell and Wasps’ Ella Cromack.

On the bench all five double up from the earlier game, with skipper McQueen leading the charge alongside Hannah Sams, Lucy Calladine, Amelia MacDougall, and Daisy Aspinall joining.

Commenting ahead of the game, James Cooper said: “Congratulations to all players selected. Competing in a Six Nations tournament – at any level – is a prestigious achievement that these young women should be proud of.

“The squad has trained consistently well since we came together as a group last year and they put in an excellent performance against Wales last month. But we also know the team we face in the tournament opener won’t be the same as the one we beat at Rugby School, so the girls need to be at their best on Friday.

“Five matches across three match days is a unique challenge and so the coaching staff and I have selected a side to face Wales that we feel will get our tournament off to a good start and then another to continue that against Scotland. Every fit player is starting in one of these opening two games; they’ve prepared well, they’re hungry for it, they’re ready.”

England Squads v Wales and Scotland:

vs Wales:

15 Daisy Aspinall (Burton, Gloucester Hartpury)
14 Connie Clarke (Preston Grasshoppers, Sale)
13 Sarah Parry (Shrewsbury, Worcester)
12 Amelia MacDougall (Old Albanians, Saracens)
11 Emma Gerrard (Morpeth, North East & Cumbria)
10 Millie Hyett (Hartpury, Gloucester Hartpury)
9 Sam Shiels (Henley College, Wasps)
1 Hannah Sams (Ivybridge, Exeter)
2 Lucy Calladine (Burton, Worcester)
3 Lucy Ward (Exeter College, Exeter)
4 Lucie Sams (Liverpool St Helens, Sale)
5 Josie Plant (Exeter Chiefs, Exeter)
6 Ellie Wood (Sidmouth, Exeter)
7 Sophie McQueen (Hartpury, Gloucester Hartpury, captain)
8 Annabel Meta (Wimbledon, Harlequins)
Replacements:
16 Amelia Williams (Medway, Gloucester Hartpury)
17 Lucy Simpson (Hartpury, Gloucester Hartpury)
18 Lucy Finch (Henley College, Harlequins)
19 Lauren Knowler (Henley College, Harlequins)
20 Lauren Bailey (Dings Crusaders, Bristol)

vs Scotland

15 Lauren Bailey (Dings Crusaders, Bristol)
14 Connie Clarke (Preston Grasshoppers, Sale)
13 Natalee Evans (Shrewsbury, Worcester)
12 Lauren Knowler (Henley College, Harlequins)
11 Emma Gerrard (Morpeth, North East & Cumbria)
10 Ella Cromack (Reading, Wasps)
9 Evie Haskell (Mansfield, Loughborough)
1 Amelia Williams (Medway, Gloucester Hartpury)
2 Lucy Simpson (Hartpury, Gloucester Hartpury)
3 Tilly Poland (Farnham, Harlequins)
4 Bridget Campbell (Sandal, Yorkshire)
5 Ellie Wood (Sidmouth, Exeter)
6 Anna Richardson (Tynedale, North East & Cumbria)
7 Lucy Finch (Henley College, Harlequins, captain)
8 Haineala Lutui (Worcester, Worcester)
Replacements:
16 Hannah Sams (Ivybridge, Exeter)
17 Lucy Calladine (Burton, Worcester)
18 Sophie McQueen (Hartpury, Gloucester Hartpury)
19 Amelia MacDougall (Old Albanians, Saracens)
20 Daisy Aspinall (Burton, Gloucester Hartpury)