Harlequins number eight Nick Easter will captain an England XV including six uncapped players when they meet the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday.

England are without players from Wasps, Leicester and Bath due to European club commitments and the selectors have used the opportunity to blood a number of new players.

New England manager Martin Johnson was at training ahead of the team announcement but the selection was left to the RFU's director of elite rugby Rob Andrew, who will coach the squad in New Zealand next month while Johnson attends to the birth of his second child.

Andrew has named an uncapped front row of Jason Hobson, David Paice and Nick Lloyd, while Northampton's highly-promising hooker Dylan Hartley starts on the bench.

Outstanding London Irish lock Nick Kennedy finally gets the chance to prove what he can do at senior level and packs down in the second row with the recalled Chris Jones.

Easter is joined in the backrow by uncapped Harlequins team-mate Will Skinner, while Topsy Ojo gets a well-deserved chance on the wing following an impressive season with London Irish.

Full-back Mike Brown and wing David Strettle bring the Harlequins starting contingent to four, while Tom Guest, Danny Care and Ugo Moyne could make it seven if they see time off the bench.

Charlie Hodgson is recalled to pull the strings at fly-half and forms a half-back pairing with Sale team-mate Richard Wigglesworth, who retains the number nine jersey ahead of the in-form Care.

Despite their faltering league season at Newcastle, Johnson has named Falcons pair Toby Flood and Matthew Tait in the centres for the non-cap clash.

England: 15-Mike Brown (Harlequins); 14-Topsy Ojo (London Irish), 13-Matthew Tait (Newcastle), 12-Toby Flood (Newcastle), 11-David Strettle (Harlequins); 10-Charlie Hodgson (Sale), 9-Richard Wigglesworth (Sale); 8-Nick Easter (Harlequins), 7-Will Skinner (Harlequins), 6-Luke Narraway (Gloucester), 5-Nick Kennedy (London Irish), 4-Chris Jones (Sale), 3-Jason Hobson (Bristol), 2-David Paice (London Irish), 1-Nick Lloyd (Gloucester).

Replacements: 16-Dylan Hartley (Northampton), 17-David Wilson (Newcastle), 18-Stuart Hooper (Leeds), 19-Tom Guest (Harlequins), 20-Danny Care (Harlequins), 21-Peter Richards (London Irish), 22-Ugo Monye (Harlequins).

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport