Breakthrough teenage wing Noah Caluori can press his case for a senior Test call-up after being named in England A’s starting XV to play an All Blacks XV on Saturday.
The 19-year-old scored five tries on his first Prem start for Saracens last month and was named in England’s initial autumn internationals squad.
After being left out of the senior group preparing to face Fiji on Saturday, Caluori has been picked ahead of Leicester’s Adam Radwan to start the second-string fixture at Bath’s Recreation Ground.
Caluori’s prodigious leap and 6ft 4in frame have marked him out as a potent aerial threat.
England head coach Steve Borthwick labelled him an “exciting talent”, while Saracens team-mate Owen Farrell has described his ability to regain possession as “nuts”., external
Exeter’s in-form back row Ethan Roots, who won the most recent of his four caps against France in March 2024, captains the side.
Bath’s Max Ojomoh is at inside centre and covers fly-half, with no specialist back-up to Charlie Atkinson on the bench.
Elsewhere, Bristol captain Fitz Harding could make his first representative appearance for any England side off the bench. Young Bath front-row pair Kepu Tuipulotu and Vilikesa Sela are also among the replacements.
England A: Hodge; Caluori, Hall, Ojomoh (vc), Hassell-Collins; Atkinson, McParland; Iyogun, Blamire, Fasogbon, Lockett, Batley, Roots (c), Pearson, Fisilau
Replacements: Tuipulotu, Haffar, Sela, Bamber, Harding, Englefield, Ma’asi-White, Radwan
