England will take on France in Paris on Saturday with a backline featuring two debutants and a one-cap winger after coach Stuart Lancaster named his starting line-up for the Six Nations opener.
As expected, 20-year-old Jack Nowell has been rewarded for his promising displays for Exeter with the starting berth on the right wing – with regular No 14 Chris Ashton dropped from the squad – with Jonny May winning his second cap on the left.
Luther Burrell is the latest in a long line of centres and will link up with Billy Twelvetrees outside Owen Farrell and recalled scrumhalf Danny Care.
Sport24
There is a much more familiar look about the forwards, where Lancaster has suffered less with injury and named the same pack as in November’s narrow defeat by New Zealand.
England have won six of their last seven games against France in the Six Nations and will be desperate to continue that form as they bid to win the title for only the second time since 2003.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Leroy Burrell, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Danny Care, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Chris Robshaw (Captain), 6 Tom Wood, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dave Attwood, 20 Ben Morgan, 21 Lee Dickson 22 Brad Barritt, 23 Alex Goode.
Phweeew, I’m already unsure what to pick on SuperBru… now this!
@ grootblousmile:
Just the type of “high handedness” that may p1ss the French off and inspire them.
I reckon that this may just force my hand into picking the French for a win.
Weather forcast for St Denis on Sat’ is for rain so ANYTHING could happen.
What odds a draw?
I hope the Frogs lose.
French lost their inspiring captain, Roses will klap them
4 @ Gena_ZA:
Eish, 6 of one, half a dozen of the other…
England have an untried backline, France have lost their inspiring captain…
Game is in Paris, France…
England have won 6 of the last 7 against France…
France is hurting and want to set the record straight due to 2013’s bad performances in the Six Nations…
France ran the All Blacks & Springboks quite close end of 2013….
England ran the All Blacks close end of 2013….
Eenie, meenie, miny, mo…. catch a froggie by his toe…
France have been hurting like forever, they just don’t inspire me in a tournament like this.
Come a World Cup final, on the day they can and will most likely be very good
@ grootblousmile:
@ Gena_ZA:
There is a theory from a while back and I see it being referred to again now that France seem to do much better in the 6 nations the year after a Lions tour, simply the extra games and pressure the British and Irish Lions are under on these tours on top of what already is a busy calendar rugbywise leaves them more tired than France the following year. The only thing though for me looking through this England team is I don’t know how many of them really got lots of game time on the last Lions tour so not sure if this is such a factor in this game – so basically as you guys say 6 of one and half a dozen of the other or “Eenie meenie miny mo”…
I think dropping Chris Ashton was a massive mistake, the man is big, fast and a hell of a finisher.
7 @ Bullscot:
Interesting theory…
In week 1, we’ll see a lot revealed on what the chances of France, England and Wales will be to win the 2014 Six Nations.
Interesting to see that both Scotland and England have gone without regular flyhalf cover on bench and that both will probably employ fullbacks at flyhalf later in the games if needed, England’s one is on the bench, Alex Goode, and Scotland’s one is starting, Stuart Hogg. Yesterday I noted lack of flyhalf bench cover for Scotland and suggested that Laidlaw would shift from scrumhalf to flyhalf in needed but since have seen that Scott Johnson is talking about shifting Stuart Hogg up from fullback to flyhalf in the game against Ireland if required.
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