WORCESTER Warriors’ promotion-winning Championship campaign has been rewarded with international recognition for a trio of Sixways stars.

Red-hot winger Miles Benjamin and loosehead prop Matt Mullan have both been handed starting spots for England Saxons’ opening Churchill Cup game against the USA at Northampton today (5pm).

Departing second row Graham Kitchener, who will join Leicester Tigers for next season, completes the Warriors representatives by claiming a place among the replacements.

Benjamin has forced his way into the starting XV on the back of a scintillating season in the second tier when he raced over for 26 tries in 30 appearances, while Mullan, who has also been capped at full international level, is returning to peak fitness after a long-term shoulder injury lay-off.

Saxons’ Worcester-born captain Luke Narraway, a former pupil of the city’s King’s School, sits out the game to receive treatment on a calf injury and Leicester number eight Jordan Crane will lead the side in his place.

There are only two survivors from the team that beat Canada 38-18 to claim the trophy in New Jersey last summer with scrum half Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons) in the starting line-up and full-back Alex Goode (Saracens) on the bench.

But Saxons head coach Stuart Lancaster has an exciting combination of youth and experience to call on. Saracens prop Matt Stevens (32 caps) is the most experienced of six senior internationals, while Henry Trinder (Gloucester) and Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs) made try-scoring first apperances for England in the non-cap game won 38-32 by the Barbarians last weekend.

Lock Mouritz Botha makes his first Saxons appearance a week after winning the Aviva Premiership title with Saracens, while Amlin Challenge Cup winner Rory Clegg (Harlequins) steps up to start at fly-half for the first time.

After taking on the USA, England Saxons play Tonga at Gloucester on June 12 followed by Italy ‘A’, Russia or Canada on the June 18 finals day at Worcester’s Sixways headquarters.

England Saxons: Brown (Harlequins); Ojo (London Irish); Trinder (Gloucester), Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers), Benjamin (Worcester Warriors); Clegg (Harlequins), Young (Newcastle Falcons); Mullan (Worcester Warriors), Gray (Harlequins), Stevens, Botha (both Saracens), Attwood (Gloucester), Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Crane (Leicester Tigers) Replacements: Paice (London Irish), Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Gibson, Hodgson (both London Irish), Goode (Saracens), Sharples (Gloucester).

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