Warriors blindside flanker Ted Hill is in line to continue his remarkable progress this season by making his England debut against Japan in Saturday’s Quilter International against Japan at Twickenham.
Hill, who is still a member of the Three Pears Warriors Academy, has been named among the replacements for the third match of England’s autumn programme having been called up by Head Coach Eddie Jones earlier this week.
Hill, 19, only made his Gallagher Premiership debut against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on September 23 but he made an immediate mark by scoring two tries after he came on as a replacement to help Warriors to a breathless 44-37 win.
Hill scored another try at Exeter Chiefs the following week – his only Premiership start to date – and he again came off the bench in Warriors’ record-breaking 52-7 victory over Bristol Bears at Sixways on October 7.
Another outstanding display in the European Challenge Cup victory over a star-studded Stade Francais was followed by inclusion in England’s pre-Quilter Internationals training camp in Portugal last month.
Hill played his formative rugby at Malvern where his father Vince, a former Middlesex and Metropolitan Police lock, was captain.
He progressed through the junior county ranks with Worcestershire then North Midlands to be capped by England Under-16s.
He then played for England Under-18s on their tour of South Africa in 2015 and made his England Under-20s debut in 2017, impressing for them in this year’s World Rugby Under-20s Championship in France when they reached the final.
Hill was one of three Warriors players named in England’s 30-man training squad for the Japan match. Centre Ben Te’o and tighthead prop Nick Schonert have not been included in the matchday squad of 23.
There are 11 changes to the starting XV which faced New Zealand last weekend with two positional switches.
Jones said: “Japan is an important game for us as we want to get back to winning ways. We have also tested ourselves in having a shorter preparation. We gave the players two days off after three weeks of intensive work. We have had a short preparation but a good preparation.
“This weekend is a good opportunity for us to test the depth of the squad. A number of players have changed their roles going from finishers to starters and starters to finishers so that is the essential change to the squad. It is exciting to be able to give starting opportunities to Zach Mercer and Joe Cokanasiga and young Ted Hill on the bench.”
England
15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 23 caps)
14 Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
13 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 28 caps)
12 Alex Lozowski (Saracens, 4 caps)
11 Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks, 41 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 49 caps) captain
9 Danny Care (Harlequins, 83 caps)
1 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 30 caps)
3 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
4 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 8 caps)
5 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 24 caps) vice-captain
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 66 caps)
7 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 6 caps)
8 Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby, 1 cap)
Replacements
16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints, 95 caps)
17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 2 caps)
18 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 15 caps)
19 Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors, uncapped)
20 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 7 caps)
21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 31 caps)
22 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 63 caps)
23 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 15 caps)