England name six uncapped players - including Fin Baxter and Tom Roebuck - for summer tour of Japan and New Zealand, as Steve Borthwick opts for youthful 36-man squad for three Tests

England head coach Steve Borthwick has named six uncapped players in a youthful squad for his team’s crunch summer tour matches with Japan and New Zealand.

After a promising end to their Six Nations campaign and the conclusion of the domestic season, England’s next challenges are a meeting with the Brave Blossoms and two Tests with the All Blacks. 

Borthwick confirmed a 36-man party for the three matches on Monday with rookies Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Gabriel Oghre (Bristol), Joe Carpenter and Tom Roebuck (both Sale), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints) and Luke Northmore (Harlequins) all called up.

As was revealed on Sunday, experienced fly-half George Ford isn’t part of Borthwick’s touring squad due to an Achilles injury. It means one of Marcus or Fin Smith will be England’s premier No 10 in the southern hemisphere.

Flanker Tom Curry is also included, alongside his twin brother Ben, despite only playing once since last year’s World Cup after his recovery from a serious hip injury. Jamie George retains the England captaincy.

Wing Sleightholme finished the season as the Gallagher Premiership’s top try scorer as his Northampton side claimed their first league title in a decade.

‘The summer series presents a valuable opportunity for the continued development of this squad and is a demanding challenge to conclude the season,’ said Borthwick.

‘For some of the younger players, it will be their first time touring abroad with England.

‘Travelling together is a great way to build closer bonds and provides an important opportunity for new players to settle into our environment.

‘With the changes in climate, playing conditions, and contrasting styles of rugby from the two opponents we face, we will be challenged on and off the field.’

England face Japan – now led by their former head coach Eddie Jones – in Tokyo on June 22 before two Tests with the All Blacks in Dunedin and Auckland on July 6 and 13 respectively. Bath No 8 Alfie Barbeary is one man who could consider himself unlucky not to be involved.

Borthwick added: ‘The National Stadium in Tokyo is an incredible venue for Test match rugby and we will need to be at our very best against a Japanese team who will want to play fast. New Zealand’s home record is well documented and we face a team who came within one point of winning a World Cup.

‘Historically it is not a place England have had much success, but we are determined to change that.

‘The players know that they will need to be mentally strong and tactically smart if we are to get the result we want.’