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Tuilagi to make long-awaited England start in Dublin

By Peter Thompson
(Getty Images)

Manu Tuilagi will make his first England start since 2014 in the blockbuster Six Nations clash with Ireland but there is no place in the squad for Joe Launchbury or Mike Brown.

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Tuilagi made his international comeback off the bench against Australia last November and will make up the centre pairing with Henry Slade in Dublin on Saturday, with Ben Te’o ruled out due to a side strain.

Locks Maro Itoje and George Kruis are paired together as Launchbury misses out and Courtney Lawes starts on the bench, while brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola are back among the pack.

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Elliot Daly gets the nod at full-back as Brown is overlooked, with Owen Farrell captaining the side at fly-half.

Co-captain Dylan Hartley (knee) will not be involved at the Aviva Stadium, where Tom Curry and Mark Wilson will make their Six Nations debuts. 

Jack Nowell and Jonny May start on the wings, with Chris Ashton named among the replacements along with uncapped scrum-half Dan Robson.

 

England: Elliot Daly, Jonny May, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jack Nowell, Owen Farrell (captain), Ben Youngs; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Mark Wilson, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola.

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Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Harry Williams, Courtney Lawes, Nathan Hughes, Dan Robson, George Ford, Chris Ashton.

 

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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