• Ford and Farrell to start against Ireland

    For the first time in over a year, George Ford and Owen Farrell will be in England's starting line-up when they face Ireland.
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    Owen Farrell and George Ford will start while Mako Vunipola has been named among the replacements for England’s Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Ireland.

    Captain Farrell will shift to inside centre and make up a midfield pairing with Manu Tuilagi to accommodate fly-half Ford at Twickenham on Saturday.

    Farrell and Ford will be in the same starting line-up for the first time in over a year in England’s last match before flying out for the tournament in Japan.

    Prop Vunipola is set to feature off the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury, while fit-again duo Tom Curry and Sam Underhill have been included in the back row.

    Jonny May comes back in on the left wing, with Joe Cokanasiga moving to the other flank and Eddie Jones has gone with Jamie George, Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler in the front row.

    Jones said: “The players have come back in a very good physical and mental state and we have had a good preparation this week. 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 September 8, when we get on the plane, we want to be ready to go. This is another step forward for us.
     
    “This weekend we will be looking to gain more game fitness and testing different sorts of game strategies. We have a specific way of how we want to play and the focus is very much on ourselves.”

     

    England: Elliot Daly, Joe Cokanasiga, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (captain), Jonny May, George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola.

    Replacements:  Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes, Mark Wilson, Willi Heinz, Piers Francis, Jonathan Joseph.

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