Ford captains England XV against France but has to wait for 100th cap

Toulouse's English flanker Jack Willis (in red) colliding with Sale's English fly-half George Ford in the European Rugby Champions Cup last-16 match in Toulouse on April 6, 2025. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED Jun 20, 2025, 01:43 AM

Thanks for sharing!

LONDON - Flyhalf George Ford will co-captain an England XV against a France XV at Twickenham on Saturday but will have to wait to gain his 100th cap as the match is a non-cap international.

Coach Steve Borthwick named a team on Thursday that included uncapped backs Joe Carpenter of Sale and Seb Atkinson of Gloucester and uncapped flanker Guy Pepper, a week after he was named man of the match in Bath's Premiership final victory over Leicester.

Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso also starts after missing most of the season with a shoulder injury, as does Bath scrumhalf Ben Spencer, who will be desperate to change his international luck after losing seven and drawing one of his eight England appearances.

Borthwick is without his British and Irish Lions players and is using Saturday's match as a warm-up for England's summer tour when they will play two tests in Argentina and one in the United States.

Ford, unlucky not to make the Lions squad after a superb season for Sale, is likely to make the 100-club on that tour, joining 101-capped hooker Jamie George, with whom he shares the captaincy duties on Saturday.

The RFU have made tickets available from 25 pounds ($33.60) - less than a third of normal Six Nations prices - and hopes to attract thousands of first-time supporters, particularly youngsters.

England XV to play France XV on Saturday (14.15 GMT)

15. Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks, uncapped)

14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 4 caps)

13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 72 caps)

12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)

11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)

10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 99 caps) – co-captain

9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 8 caps)

1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 11 caps)

2. Jamie George (Saracens, 101 caps) – co-captain

3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 12 caps)

4. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)

5. Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 15 caps)

6. Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)

7. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, uncapped)

8. Tom Willis (Saracens, 6 caps)

Replacements:

16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 17 caps)

17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 7 caps)

18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

19. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 15 caps)

20. Jack Kenningham (Harlequins, uncapped)

21. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 20 caps)

22. Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks, 2 caps)

23. Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped) REUTERS

Join  ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Thanks for sharing!