Captain Hugo Ellis, on loan at Rosslyn Park from Guinnes Premiership side Wasps this season, helped himself to a hat-trick of tries as England completed their preparations for the IRB U19 World Championship by demolishing France at Henley.

England's preparations have been fragmented this season with limited preparation time as they get ready for a tough series of pool games against Samoa, Argentina and New Zealand in Belfast next month.

But you would hardly have guessed it from the composed and inventive performance they produced at Dry Leas, where Ellis's treble was backed up by a try apiece for scrum-half Joe Simpson and full-back Alex Goode, who added two conversions.

As well as Ellis's power from the base of the scrum, England looked particularly composed in midfield where Alex Tait had an outstanding all-round game, while Goode, normally a fly-half was a revelation at full-back.

France only found their way back into the game in the final 10 minutes when Antonin Raffault was driven over and after the home side were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of Jon Fisher.

The result was a hugely impressive one, particularly against France, with whom England could only draw 12-12 in last year's third-place play-off in Dubai, which they won on the try-count.

England had signalled their intent three minutes into the game when Tait's break down the right put full-back Goode over in the corner.

Ten minutes later, Simpson ducked through a gap at the base of a scrum and accelerated away through a bemused defence to score from 30m out, with Goode converting.

Ellis had scored two tries against Italy and added another brace in the first half here, driven over in the right hand corner after 25 minutes - Goode converting - before finishing off another sustained attack two minutes before the interval.

England created some promising chances in the second-half - from close-range lineouts and then when the bounce of the ball defeated David Smith after an intelligent chip from Adam Greendale.

They finally added their fifth try when Ellis picked up from the base of a ruck five metres out and blasted his way through two defenders to the line.

Raffault was driven over after that and France dominated the final 10 minutes without ever suggesting they could find a way through a well-organised defence.

England U19: Alex Goode (Saracens); David Smith (Northampton Saints, Miles Benjamin, Worcester Warriors 52), Tom Bedford (Exeter Chiefs, Greg King, Worcester Warriors, 41), Alex Tait (Newcastle Falcons), Noah Cato (Saracens); Adam Greendale (Leeds Tykes & Hymers College), Joe Simpson (London Wasps, Danny Pointon, Northampton Saints 26, Richard Bolt, Exeter Chiefs, 55); Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby, Joe Steadman, Bristol Rugby, 41, Danny Birchall, Sale Sharks 68), Joe Williams (Gloucester Rugby), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Scott Hobson (Cornish Pirates), Gregor Gillanders (Leicester Tigers), Matt Cox (Worcester Warriors, Jon Fisher, London Irish, 60), Andy Saull (Saracens, Garth Dew, Sale Sharks, 17), Hugo Ellis (London Wasps, captain).