Youngs to get nod for England tour

Leicester hooker Tom Youngs is understood to have been included in England’s 42-man squad for the daunting five-match tour of South Africa, despite never having started an Aviva Premiership match in the position.

Youngs, 25, is a converted centre and his Premiership experience is limited to just 12 appearances off the bench for Leicester. But with Rob Webber and Chris Brooker injured, Youngs has been selected alongside his scrum-half brother Ben as one of four hookers in the party.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster will announce his full squad today and Youngs is among a host of uncapped players to have been included.

Bath flanker Carl Fearns will provide back-row options following tour-ending injuries to Tom Croft and Tom Wood, while there are doubts over the fitness of Ben Morgan.

The Wasps pair of wing Christian Wade and lock Joe Launchbury have been rewarded for outstanding seasons in a struggling side. They will be joined by the uncapped Harlequins quartet of centre George Lowe, lock George Robson, hooker Joe Gray and prop Joe Marler.

England play the Barbarians at Twickenham on 30 May, before embarking on their first ever three-Test series in South Africa.