Sam Burgess

Beleaguered England coach Stuart Lancaster dropped controversial rugby league convert Sam Burgess amid mass changes for the side’s last Rugby World Cup pool game against Uruguay.

Burgess, who was Lancaster’s most argued over squad selection when he got the nod ahead of the more battle-hardened Luther Burrell, does not even make the replacements bench in the dead-rubber game.

4 Players – Henry Slade, Jack Nowell, Danny Care and Alex Goode – will make their 1st Rugby World Cup starts in Saturday’s game in Manchester.

Chris Robshaw remains captain despite calls for him to be dropped after the calamitous defeat to Australia last Saturday.

Defeats against Wales and Australia meant England became the 1st Rugby World Cup hosts to fail to reach the knockout Rounds.

England: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw (Captain), 6 James Haskell, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 David Wilson, 19 George Kruis, 20 Tom Wood, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Mike Brown.

Date: Saturday 10 October
Venue: Manchester City Stadium, Manchester
Kick-Off: 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 16:00 UYT)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)

rugby365