England name team for Scotland
Winger Joe Cokanasiga has been dropped from the England squad to face Scotland in the final game of the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday a week after his man-of-the-match performance in their thrashing of Italy.
Coach Eddie Jones named his team on Thursday, recalling Jack Nowell to the right wing and moving Manu Tuilagi, who scored two tries in last week’s 57-14 win, to inside centre to accommodate the return of Henry Slade at 13.
There was no reference to an injury for Cokanasiga but Jones will explain his decision in a news conference later on Thursday.
Jones has raised concerns about Cokanasiga’s defensive reliability, though England are unlikely to be seriously tested by Scotland missing three of their first-choice back three players.
In two other changes Ben Moon comes in for Ellis Genge in the front row while flanker Mark Wilson starts in place of Brad Shields. Ben Spencer offers scrumhalf cover off the bench for Dan Robson, who is ruled o ut through illness.
The big talking point, however, was the absence of giant 21-year-old Cokanasiga who, winning his fourth cap, wowed the crowd at Twickenham last week with his athletic running and eye-catching one-hand carrying.
Jones, however, was quick to dampen down the adulation after Clive Woodward compared him to former New Zealand great Jonah Lomu and said he could have the same impact for England as World Cup-winner Jason Robinson.
“That’s ridiculous,” Jones said. “The guy has played two Tests (he has played four) – Lomu almost won a World Cup for New Zealand, changed the way the game’s played. So let’s get serious about it.”
He also said the one-handed carrying that exposed his Fijian heritage was more pleasing to journalists than coaches. Though he said he had the potential to be “one of the best players in the air in the world”, he still had areas to work on.
With or without him, by the time England kick off they will know whether the y are playing for the title – if Ireland have beaten Wales earlier in the day – or just the Calcutta Cup should Wales triumph in Cardiff to secure a Grand Slam.
Scotland have not won at Twickenham since 1983.
https://twitter.com/EnglandRugby/status/1106140505606361089
England starting XV (523 caps)
15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 29 caps)
14 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 32 caps)
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps)
12 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 44 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 69 caps) (captain)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 84 caps)
1 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 7 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 36 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 21 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 57 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 31 caps)
6 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 12 caps)
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 9 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 40 caps)
Finishers (203 caps)
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 10 caps)
17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 8 caps)
18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 84 caps)
19 Brad Shields (Wasps, 7 caps)
20 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 21 caps)
21 Ben Spencer (Saracens, 2 caps)
22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 54 caps)
23 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 17 caps)
AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments