England U18 have made six changes for their match against Italy in Vichy, with Jack Lewis retaining the captaincy and Will Moore set for his first start
Announced on 9 Apr 2026, the final England under-18 squad for the last game of the 2026 Under-18 Men’s Six Nations Festival travels to Vichy to face Italy on Saturday 11 April with a 15:15 BST kick-off at Stade Municipal Louis Darragon.
Head coach Jonathan Pendlebury has made a number of changes after a narrow victory over Georgia, balancing experience and new opportunities as the festival draws to a close.
This selection emphasises player growth and match exposure: the management talk has centred on enjoyment, development and collective responsibility.
The announcement underlines the coaching staff’s aim to keep building momentum while giving several squad members further international exposure. Throughout the piece you will find the full starting XV, the replacements, and a short review of where England sit in the festival so far.
Squad selection and match details
Pendlebury has named a 26-player matchday group with Jack Lewis of Northampton Saints continuing as captain for a second consecutive fixture. The starting lineup includes familiar faces and a handful of changes: six players were reintroduced to the starting XV following the Georgia game. The management emphasises caps as a metric of experience, and those totals are listed alongside each player below.
Starting XV
The England starting XV to face Italy is: 15. Caspar Reeves (Bristol Bears, 3 caps); 14. Archie Guyver (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps); 13. Will Moore (Bristol Bears, 1 cap) who will make his full England U18 start; 12. Declan Treacey (Bath Rugby, 10 caps); 11. Charlie Tamani (Northampton Saints, 9 caps) set to win his 10th cap; 10. Zac Jones (Saracens, 3 caps); 9. Will Bayston (Sale Sharks, 5 caps); 1. Aiden Reid (Northampton Saints, 6 caps); 2. Casper Wheeler (Bristol Bears, 5 caps); 3. Seva Batikora (Leicester Tigers, 5 caps); 4. Kwame Bekoe (Leicester Tigers, 6 caps); 5. Fin Charles (Leicester Tigers, 3 caps); 6. Henry Johnson (Leicester Tigers, 3 caps) who is named to start; 7. Jack Lewis (c) (Northampton Saints, 8 caps); 8. Ben Allen (Bath Rugby, 3 caps).
Bench, rest and opportunities
The replacements bench contains a mix of academy standouts and players ready to make an impact off the bench. Named as substitutes are: 16. Tiane Elone (Saracens, 3 caps); 17. Hendro Hattingh (Sale Sharks, 3 caps); 18. Ben Smith (Yorkshire Academy, 3 caps); 19. Jeremy Keys (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps); 20. Kaiden Watson (Harlequins, 2 caps); 21. Harry Westlake (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps); 22. Sonny Goode (Northampton Saints, 5 caps); 23. Max Hooper (Bath Rugby, 3 caps); 24. Charlie Bosanko (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps); 25. Rio Bennett (Saracens, 3 caps); 26. Oli Hewitt (Gloucester Rugby, 3 caps).
Leadership and debut notes
Jack Lewis remains the on-field leader, providing continuity in the back row and a steadying presence for younger teammates. The selection gives a starting berth to Will Moore, who will earn his first full start for England U18 and pair with the experienced Declan Treacey in midfield. Another notable change is the elevation of Henry Johnson into the starting back-row; Johnson has previously featured from the bench and now receives his first start, a story that attracted attention because he is the son of former England captain Martin Johnson.
Tournament context and schedule
England’s route through the festival has combined tougher opposition and learning moments. The warm-up friendly ended England U18 Men 33-63 France U18 Men, and Matchday 1 saw England 31-36 Ireland. On Matchday 2 England responded with a win away to Georgia, recorded as Georgia 31-35 England. The final fixture against Italy at the Stade Municipal Louis Darragon in Vichy offers an opportunity to finish the festival on a positive note and continue the squad’s development arc.
Coach Pendlebury summed up the camp by praising the squad’s resilience after the Georgia game and reiterating the focus on enjoyment and player development. He said the players had taken ownership of their progress on and off the pitch and that the team will look to express itself and build on recent progress when they run out on Saturday 11 April at 15:15 BST.
