Young Warriors Harry Owens and Joel Diggins helped England Under-18s make an impressive start to the AER Championships with an emphatic 79-0 win over Portugal in Bayonne.
England, who have also included Worcester full-back Michael Penn in their championship squad, ran in 13 tries in a one-sided clash as they launched tin their bid to win a third consecutive title in style.
England will now play Ireland, who defeated Georgia 27-0, in the AER semi-finals at Tyrosse on Wednesday (April 4).
“We didn’t really know what to expect so we were a little bit apprehensive,” said Graham Whitmore, England’s lead coach.
“Portugal thought they had a superior side to last year and their aim was to try to close the gap between us, but obviously that didn’t happen.
“We played with real ambition and a willingness to attack from everywhere. I was pleased with the width and depth that we got into our game.”