Coach Mark Mapletoft is urging England's Under 20 players to force their way into Martin Johnson's plans at next month's IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship.
Five of the players who started against New Zealand in the final of last year's tournament are touring with England's senior sides this summer.
Harlequins centre Jordan Turner-Hall has forced his way into Johnno's first team squad and scrum half Joe Simpson (London Wasps), prop Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), full back Alex Goode (Saracens) and wing Noah Cato (Saracens) were all selected for the England Saxons trip to the Churchill Cup in Denver.
The next generation of Under 20s have arrived in Tokyo to kick off the JWC tournament against hosts Japan on Friday, June 5, with pool games to follow against Scotland on June 9 and Samoa on June 13 before the knockout stages take place on June 17 and 21.
Fourteen of the current squad have already appeared in the Guinness Premiership for their club sides, with the likes of Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby) and skipper Calum Clark (Leeds Carnegie) all enhancing their reputations this season.
"I'm sure that if there wasn't a Junior World Championship this summer that some would have come under serious consideration to tour, if not with the seniors against Argentina then certainly for the Saxons to the Churchill Cup," said coach Mark Mapletoft.
"As an organisation the RFU values how important this tournament is to see how good each player is against the best players in the world in their own age group.
"It's all well and good to say 'this guy's played in the Premiership, he's played in the EDF Energy Cup, he's got a championship medal in Europe' but let's see how good they are against the best players from the southern hemisphere.
"Can they do it on a foreign field, in the middle of June, in a steaming hot climate, in a different culture? If they can, their careers will accelerate. It's a massive opportunity to prove to themselves, to their clubs and to the senior England management that they can do it on the world stage."
There are six survivors from last year's tournament in the squad: captain Calum Clark, vice-captain Eves, Lawes, Youngs, hooker James Clark (London Irish), fly half Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons) and wing Charlie Sharples (Gloucester).
And their combination with players coming out of last year's unbeaten England Under 18 side makes former England fly half Mapletoft optimistic about the prospect of going one step further this year.
"The answer is yes, we can win it, and the players early in the season set themselves the target of going one better than last year," he said.
"It'll be a real challenge a long way from home and in a totally different environment and culture. They bring a lot of enthusiasm, ambition and experience, and yes we can, but whether we do depends on how we approach each game.
"We need players on the field who are going to put their hands up, take the ball forward, win the collisions, make good decisions at the key moments in matches.
"The players that we took last year are all integral parts of the group and they will bring that experience with them to Tokyo, plus there are guys who've had the experience of playing for their first teams in the Guinness Premiership, in the EDF Energy Cup in the Heineken Cup or the Challenge Cup.
"They've all been playing against physically more mature athletes, so when they're playing against their peer group they'll be able to bring that to their game.
"There's a lot of characters in the side, no question. There are guys who come on the back of successful domestic programmes are the guys rugby supporters are looking at.
"Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Tom Homer are ones who spring to mind who've been contesting the big finals over the last two or three weeks. But it's a 26-man effort. Playing five matches in effectively 17 days is a tough ask. It's a tremendous physical burden."
England Under 20 squad
Forwards (14)
Bob Baker (London Wasps)
Calum Clark (Leeds Carnegie)
James Clark (London Irish)
Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks)
James Gaskell (Sale Sharks)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
Shaun Knight (Gloucester Rugby)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs)
Josh Ovens (Bath Rugby)
Dan Williams (Gloucester Rugby)
Chris York (Harlequins)
Backs (12)
Rory Clegg (Newcastle Falcons)
Jack Cobden (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Eves (Bristol Rugby)
Tom Homer London Irish)
Will Hurrell (Leicester Tigers)
Dave Lewis (Gloucester Rugby)
George Lowe (Harlequins)
Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons)
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
Greig Tonks (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Match schedule (with local timings)
June 5: England v Japan (Tokyo, 7pm)
June 9: England v Scotland (Tokyo, 5pm)
June 13: England v Samoa (Tokyo, 1pm)
June 17: Match Day Four
June 21: Finals Day
