George Ford and Owen Farrell will start together for the first time in over a year when they line up for England against Ireland on Saturday.

Captain Farrell partners Manu Tuilagi in the centres for the first time in a Test match.

Flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry are both named in the back row.

“This weekend we will be looking to gain more match fitness and test different sorts of game strategies,” said boss Eddie Jones.

Ford and Farrell formed a successful partnership for the first two years of Jones’ tenure, before Farrell switched to fly-half regularly last year.

The last time they started in the same midfield was the second Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein last June, which England lost 23-12.

However, with Henry Slade injured and Ben Te’o not selected, Jones has reverted to the two-playmaker combination after England’s defeat by Wales last weekend.

Elsewhere in the backline Jonny May will make his first appearance of the season on the left wing with Joe Cokanasiga switching to the right wing.

Elliot Daly continues at full-back, with Ben Youngs partnering club-mate Ford in the half-backs.

Up front, Joe Marler makes a first start since coming out of international retirement, with Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler also returning.

Mako Vunipola is named on the bench after a long injury lay-off, with brother Billy making his third straight start of the campaign at number eight.

“The players have come back in a very good physical and mental state and we have had a good preparation this week,” added Jones.

“We purposefully made the week short looking ahead to the World Cup where this might happen beyond our control.

“It is the third of four games for us and come 8 September, when we get on the plane, we want to be ready to go. This is another step forward for us.”

England: Daly; Cokanasiga, Tuilagi, Farrell, May; Ford, Youngs; Marler, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Kruis, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, M Vunipola, Cole, Lawes, Wilson, Heinz, Francis, Joseph.

Ross Byrne will make his full Test debut for Ireland on Saturday after being named in the side to play England in a World Cup warm-up at Twickenham.

The Leinster fly-half is included in a strong starting line-up which shows 12 personnel changes and one positional switch from the one which beat Italy.

Jordan Larmour moves from full-back to right wing and Garry Ringrose is again chosen at centre, alongside Bundee Aki.

Recently qualified South African-born lock Jean Kleyn retains his place.

The Munster second row is handed a second opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the final 31-man squad after making his debut against Italy.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt’s selection to face England has a much more familiar look about it after an experimental line-up secured victory over the Italians at the Aviva Stadium on 10 August, with the return of a number of frontline players.

Rob Kearney, Jacob Stockdale, Aki, Conor Murray, Cian Healy, captain Rory Best, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier and CJ Stander all make their seasonal bows.

After Saturday’s game at Twickenham Ireland continue their World Cup preparation games by facing Wales in Cardiff on 31 August and Warren Gatland’s side again in Dublin on 7 September.

Byrne has won two caps off the bench to date – against Italy in Chicago in November last year and as a replacement for Darren Sweetnam in the last of Ireland’s autumn internationals against the USA three weeks later.

Connacht number 10 Jack Carty is named on the bench as Schmidt prepares to give some big-match experience to both fly-halves in the light of the ankle injury which has put Joey Carbery’s place in the World Cup squad in doubt.

Byrne appeared to slip down the pecking order in last season’s Six Nations as Carty was called up as Johnny Sexton’s understudy after Carbery was sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Carty made three appearances off the bench during the tournament, before making a fourth in the opening warm-up game earlier this month.

Byrne was one of three fly-halves who were part of the squad to tour Australia in June 2018 but despite being named among the replacements for the third Test of that series he remained unused.

Schmidt’s current panel stands at 40 players after John Cooney, Finlay Bealham and Mike Haley were released back to their provinces last week but nine more must be culled before the squad travels to Japan for the World Cup.

Ireland: R Kearney; Larmour, Ringrose, Aki, Stockdale; R Byrne, Murray; Healy, Best, Furlong, Henderson, Kleyn; O’Mahony, Van der Flier, Stander.

Replacements: Cronin, J McGrath, Porter, Toner, Beirne, L McGrath, Carty, Conway.

Venue: Twickenham, London Date: Saturday 24 August Kick-off: 15:00 BST

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