Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs have returned to England’s starting lineup for Sunday’s crucial Six Nations match against Ireland at Twickenham.
Ben Youngs starts at scrumhalf ahead of Willi Heinz, who was demoted to the bench. Tuilagi is named at outside centre, returning to the side after missing the Scotland match through injury.
Jonathan Joseph moves from No 13 to left wing, which sees Elliot Daly shift to fullback. George Furbank misses out on selection altogether.
Joe Marler, who replaces Mako Vunipola at loosehead prop, starts alongside Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler in the front row with George Kruis and Maro Itoje in partnership in the second row.
Courtney Lawes is named at flank at the expense of Lewis Ludlam. Lawes forms a loose trio partnership with the so-called kamikaze kids Sam Underhill and Tom Curry.
Charlie Ewels is named as reserve alongside hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart and lock Joe Launchbury. Ben Earl, who made his England debut against Scotland is also named in the match-day squad, as is Henry Slade who returns from injury.
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Explaining his selections, coach Eddie Jones said: ‘We’ve had a really good training week with Thursday probably our best session of the Six Nations.’
‘Ireland are a very good team, extremely well coached. They are a team we respect a lot. They will bring their usual physicality and under Andy Farrell they’ve opened up their game a little bit.
‘They are a tactically smart team. Murray and Sexton, who have played 170 Tests between them, at nine and 10 will manage the game well. We’ve got to make sure we match their physicality and their emotion on the weekend.
‘We trained at Twickenham Stadium in front of 10,000 fans last Friday and we can’t wait to get back out there in front of 80,000 people on Sunday.’
England – 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Jonny May, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Jonathan Joseph 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Tom Curry, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Joe Marler.
Subs: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Charlie Ewels, 21 Ben Earl, 22 Willi Heinz, 23 Henry Slade.
Photo: Will Oliver/EPA
