Jonny May training at Gosforth RFC with England Saxons

JONNY MAY and Matt Mullan come into the England Saxons starting line-up for Friday night’s clash with Scotland A in Newcastle (8pm).

May (Gloucester Rugby) takes over from Christian Wade (London Wasps) on the right wing and Worcester Warriors’ prop Mullan replaces Nick Wood (Gloucester) at loose head.

Head coach Jon Callard has kept changes to a minimum to build on the momentum established with last week’s 14-10 win against the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds in Galway.

“We put in a really gritty performance against Ireland and to win over there was a deserved reward for all that hard work,” said Callard.

“Jonny May and Matt Mullan are both talented players who’ve trained hard to earn the chance to show what they can do against Scotland.”

“If you don’t get it right at international level, sides like this Scotland one will punish you heavily and that’s what happened last year,” added Callard.

“We’ve all learned from that and we’re determined to get it absolutely right this time round.”

England Saxons
15 Elliot Daly (London Wasps)
14 Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
13 Joel Tomkins (Saracens)
12 Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins)
11 Tom Biggs (Bath Rugby)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
1 Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
2 Joe Gray (Harlequins)
3 Paul Doran-Jones (Northampton Saints)
4 Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
5 George Robson (Harlequins)
6 George Kruis (Saracens)
7 Will Fraser (Saracens)
8 Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers, captain).

Replacements:
16 Rob Buchanan (Harlequins)
17 Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)
18 Kieran Brookes (Leicester Tigers)
19 Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
20 Jamie Gibson (London Irish)
21 Joe Simpson (London Wasps)
22 George Lowe (Harlequins)
23 Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)

Scotland A team to play England Saxons at Kingston Park, Newcastle

15 Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby)

14 Duncan Taylor (Saracens)
13 Alex Grove (Worcester Warriors) – 3 caps
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Nikki Walker (Worcester Warriors) – 24 caps

10 Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby) – 1 cap
9 Sean Kennedy (Glasgow Warriors)

1 Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks) – 24 caps
2 Steven Lawrie (Edinburgh Rugby)
3 Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
4 Tom Ryder (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
5 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors)
6 Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby)
7 Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks) – 20 caps
8 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN

Substitutes
16 Alun Walker (Edinburgh Rugby)
17 Grant Shiells (Newcastle Falcons)
18 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors)
19 Robert McAlpine (Edinburgh Rugby)
20 James Eddie (Glasgow Warriors)
21 Jamie Stevenson (London Scottish)
22 Ben Cairns (Edinburgh Rugby) – 7 caps
23 Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby)

Not considered due to injury: Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Rugby), Peter Horne, Chris Cusiter, Chris Fusaro, Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (London Irish).