England head coach Stuart Lancaster has insisted that his team will take this Sunday's clash against the Barbarians as a "milestone" in their preparations for the tour of South Africa.

The 42-year-old will face his biggest challenge this summer since becoming the permanent England coach when he leads his team into a three-match series following the national side's positive run in the Six Nations.

"We are treating this as a very important game for setting the foundations for the tour," BBC Sport quotes Lancaster as saying.

"The players have been excellent this week and have been fully focused as we are looking to build on the momentum of the Six Nations. This is a really important milestone in our preparation for South Africa."

London Wasps winger Christian Wade has been named in the starting team for the first time in his career, while Dylan Hartley returns from an eight-week suspension for biting Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris.