TWO Worcester Warriors players will tackle Italy tomorrow as England Under 19s head to Tre Fontane, Rome.

Matthew Mullan and Chris Pennell have been named in the first XV by coach Nigel Redman for the afternoon fixture.

Redman, assisted by fellow national academy coach Damian McGrath, "There have been a number of changes as at least six players, who may have been involved, have educational commitments.

"We always seek to help them create the right balance between their education and their rugby. This does, however, give some of the younger players the opportunity to show what they can do.

"The intensity and physicality of the Welsh game was a good benchmark for the Under 19s squad and we now need to improve on that performance."

Team: Pennell (Warriors); Turner-Hall (NEC Harlequins), Powell (Saracens); Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Dodge (Leicester Tigers); Waldouck (London Wasps & Latymer Upper School), Pointon (Gloucester); Mullan (Warriors), McMillan (Nottingham), Mercey (Saracens), Thomas (Saracens & Haileybury College), Hobson (Redruth & Truro College), Shaw (Leicester Tigers), Saull (Saracens & Bancrofts School), Ellis (London Wasps & St Benedict's School). Replacements: Page (Leeds Tykes), Beech (Northampton Saints), Cole (Leicester Tigers), Pitfield (Northampton Saints), Miller (Bath), Bolt (Exeter Chiefs), Harries (Northampton Saints), Burrell (Leeds Tykes & Park Lane College).

Three more North Midlands players have been added to the England Under 18 training squad.

Winger Miles Benjamin (King Edward's School, Birmingham), full-back Charlie Fellows (King's School Worcester and Worcester) and fly-half Tim Streather (Chase High School Malvern and Worcester) are the trio.

They all impressed in helping the Midlands defeat the South West 22-12 in a divisional match at Bridgwater in Somerset last Sunday.

They will link up with county team-mates Joel Diggins (Bromsgrove School and Worcester), fly-half George Crook (Bromsgrove School and Worcester) and flanker Matt Cox (Worcester) for a squad session at Castlecroft in Wolverhampton and RAF Cosford from February 16 until 19.

England will select two squads, one to play in the AER Championship in Treviso, Italy, in April and the other for the Home Unions Festival, which will be played in Gloucestershire from April 15 until 21.

The Midlands will play a final divisional match against the North at Castlecroft on Sunday, February 26, (2pm) which will also be watched by England selectors.

Benjamin, Fellows and Streather were all members of the North Midlands Under 17 development programme last season.