George Ford will captain an experienced England XV team in an un-capped fixture against France XV on Friday at Stade de la Rabine in Vannes (kick-off 5.15pm BST).
The Sharks fly-half starts in the number 10 shirt with prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour and flanker Tom Curry also picked to start the game. England men’s head coach Steve Borthwick has named Raffi Quirke on the replacements bench.
Ford will lead a side featuring a blend of experienced internationals and players looking to strengthen their claims for future England Test selection. The fixture forms an important part of England’s preparations ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship, which kicks off in July.
“We’re looking forward to an exciting challenge against a strong French team in what will be a demanding fixture,” said Borthwick.
“I’m eager to see this group get out there and show what they’re capable of. It’s a great opportunity to keep developing our game in the lead-up to the forthcoming Nations Championship.”
Friday’s non-capped fixture, which does not include players involved in the PREM Final, will be shown live on RugbyPass TV.
Following the match in Vannes, England begin their Nations Championship campaign against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday 4 July, followed by matches against Fiji and Argentina. All Nations Championship matches will be broadcast live on ITV Sport.
FRANCE XV v ENGLAND XV
Friday 19 June 2026, Stade de la Rabine, Vannes. Kick-off: 5.15pm BST
14. Noah Caluori (Saracens)
13. Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks) – captain
9. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
1. Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
2. Theo Dan (Saracens)
3. George Kloska (Bristol Bears)
4. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
6. Ted Hill (Bath Rugby)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
8. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Replacements:
16. Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers)
17. Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
18. Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby)
19. Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
20. Jack Kenningham (Harlequins)
21. Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks)
22. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
23. Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers)
