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England reveal their team to face Wales on Saturday
By Online Editors
England men’s head coach Eddie Jones has named his team to play in their third Six Nations match against Wales on Saturday in Cardiff (KO 4.45pm).
Jones has made two changes to the starting XV following injuries to Chris Ashton (Sale) and Mako Vunipola (Saracens), with Exeter Chiefs pair Jack Nowell selected on the right wing and Ben Moon at loosehead prop.
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath) and Brad Shields (Wasps) are included in the match-day 23 for the first time this tournament while Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers) and Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs) are named as finishers. Owen Farrell (Saracens) will captain England who have won their last five Six Nations matches against Wales.
Eddie Jones said: “England and Wales is always a big game. Intense rivals and there is the historical context to it, but for us it is our most important game because it is our next game and that is how we are treating it.
“Whenever you play against a Warren Gatland side you are playing against a side that is going to be very physical on the gain line. They are always very fit so you have to make sure you win the gain line and then find opportunities of where you are going to attack them.
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“As you have read in the media, it’s all about Wales, we are playing potentially the greatest team ever. Their players are full of emotion and it’s the biggest game they are going to play in their lives. We have had a good week just focussing on ourselves and focussing on getting our preparation right.”
On selection, Jones added: “Ben Moon will start and Ellis Genge will finish so we will get a great 80 minutes out of those two. It is disappointing to lose a player of the calibre of Mako Vunipola but we have two very good players who will do a great job for us.
“Jack Nowell will start and Joe Cokanasiga will come onto the bench. As we saw in the autumn Joe is a player of great potential so we are looking forward to him adding to the squad.
“Brad Shields comes in for Nathan Hughes as a finisher as we just feel like it is going to be a high work-rate game.”
England starting XV (509 caps)
15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 27 caps)
14 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 31 caps)
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 19 caps)
12 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 29 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 42 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 67 caps) (captain)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 82 caps)
1 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 34 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 19 caps)
4 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 70 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 29 caps)
6 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 10 caps)
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 7 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 38 caps)
Finishers (147 caps)
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps)
17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 6 caps)
18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 16 caps)
19 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 55 caps)
20 Brad Shields (Wasps, 5 caps)
21 Dan Robson (Wasps, 1 cap)
22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 53 caps)
23 Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)
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Latest Comments
ALB has had many a start in big matches for ABs and has never put his stamp on the game Tupaea got the start in 22 against Ireland before injured and he struggled a tad too neither had outstanding SR seasons one thing Jordie an Reiko ain’t leaking breaks and tries at all in multiple big games
Go to commentsI’ll see how Aus go against Scotland and Ireland!
They have beaten the worst Welsh side ever and pipped England in OT
They do look attractive to watch I admit but got smashed by the Welsh scrum last week
Look at the areas of focus for Razor and Ryan
Huge player development in the ABs and ABs XV
One might argue that the only scrum more dominant is the Boks? And that wasn’t clear in SA until the bomb squad came on
The bench has been somewhat rectified since then
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