Nathan Catt (Bath, 20): loose-head prop with three appearances as replacement for club first XV, three for second XV and nine for Newbury. Said to be the best front-row prospect from the under-20s.

Noah Cato (Saracens, 20): wing, also covers full back. Has broken into first XV with seven starts and one as a replacement. Fluid runner.

Hugo Ellis (London Wasps, 20): No 8 and captain of England Under-20s. Three appearances as replacement for Wasps, two starts and two from the bench for London Welsh. Dynamic back-row forward.

Alex Corbisiero (London Irish, 20): tight-head prop who made an instant impact in the first two months of the Premiership. Scrummages well and very mobile, has made six starts and four off the bench.

Joe Simpson (London Wasps, 20): scrum half and contender as IRB young player of the year. Two appearances off the bench for Wasps, with two tries, but needs far more game time.

Stars in the making: the England under-20 team that played New Zealand in June:

N Cato (Saracens); M Odejobi (London Wasps), L Eves (Bristol), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins), M Benjamin (Worcester Warriors); A Goode (Saracens), J Simpson (London Wasps); N Catt (Bath), J Gray (Northampton), A Corbisiero (London Irish), B Thomas (Saracens), G Gillanders (Leicester), J Fisher (London Irish), C Clark (Leeds Carnegie), H Ellis (London Wasps, captain).