Martin Johnson's son called up by England for U18 Six Nations

The Leicester Tigers forward is among a 26-man group selected by head coach Jonathan Pendlebury for the tournament in Vichy, as England’s next generation prepares to test itself on the international stage.

England assemble at the Hazelwood Centre next week ahead of their opening clash against Ireland on April 3, with all matches set to be streamed live on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channel.

Pendlebury has opted to rotate the captaincy throughout the festival, giving multiple players the chance to develop leadership skills across the three-match schedule.

Fifteen members of the squad only made their U18 debuts earlier this month in a warm-up defeat to France at Chinnor RFC, underlining the inexperience—but also potential—within the group.

Johnson is joined by fellow Schools Cup standouts Jack Lewis and Aiden Reid, while Charlie Tamani and Will Moore return to the setup. Moore and Harlequins forward Kaiden Watson could both make their U18 debuts during the tournament.

Lewis, Tamani and Declan Treacey are the only players set for their second Six Nations campaigns at this level.

Speaking ahead of the festival, Pendlebury said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the players to explore their game, discover their strengths and take ownership of their development in a challenging international environment.

“We’ll face strong opposition in Ireland, Georgia and Italy, and it’s important we adapt quickly and keep improving as a group.

“Most importantly, we want the players to enjoy the experience and express themselves as they continue their England pathway.”

Forwards:
Ben Allen (Bath), Seva Batikora (Leicester Tigers), Kwame Bekoe (Leicester Tigers), Fin Charles (Leicester Tigers), Tiane Elone (Saracens), Hendro Hattingh (Sale Sharks), Henry Johnson (Leicester Tigers), Jeremy Keys (Exeter Chiefs), Jack Lewis (Northampton Saints), Aiden Reid (Northampton Saints), Ben Smith (Yorkshire Academy), Kaiden Watson (Harlequins), Harry Westlake (Exeter Chiefs), Casper Wheeler (Bristol Bears)

Backs:
Will Bayston (Sale Sharks), Rio Bennett (Saracens), Charlie Bosanko (Exeter Chiefs), Sonny Goode (Northampton Saints), Archie Guyver (Exeter Chiefs), Oli Hewitt (Gloucester Rugby), Max Hooper (Bath), Zac Jones (Saracens), Will Moore (Bristol Bears), Caspar Reeves (Bristol Bears), Charlie Tamani (Northampton Saints), Declan Treacey (Bath)