Exeter’s Jonny Hill will make his England debut against Italy on Saturday after coach Eddie Jones named him as lock partner to Maro Itoje for the game in Rome where the Six Nations title is at stake.
Scrum-half Ben Youngs will win his 100th cap, inside captain and flyhalf Owen Farrell. In the absence of the injured Manu Tuilagi, Jones has opted for the creative centre pairing of Henry Slade and Jonathan Joseph, with George Furbank at fullback.
After much speculation about his back-row options, Jones has returned to the trio who performed so well in the World Cup, with Sam Underhill and Tom Curry flanking Billy Vunipola, making his first appearance since the final defeat by South Africa a year ago this week.
Hooker Jamie George will win his 50th cap.
There are three uncapped players on the bench — hooker Tom Dunn, centre Ollie Lawrence and winger Ollie Thorley — while Dan Robson is the backup scrum-half.
England will hope to beat Italy with a bonus point and then rack up enough points to take the title on points difference, if Ireland do not buck the odds by beating France in Paris with a bonus point in the final game of the championship on Saturday.
Ireland have 14 points to the 13 of England and France. If Ireland win with a bonus point they will be crowned champions, but that is an unlikely outcome.
Ireland’s points difference is +38, with England on +15 and France on +13. To finish top England would need to secure their bonus point, make up the 23-point deficit on Ireland, and then better any further points difference advantage Ireland might make up with a non-bonus point win.
The France vs. Ireland game looks set to go ahead despite the country going into lockdown. However, the home side’s only hope of the title is to beat Ireland by a better margin than England manage against Italy or hope England lose to Italy for the first time.
England squad
Starting XV
George Furbank, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, Henry Slade, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola
Replacements
Tom Dunn, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Charlie Ewels, Ben Earl, Dan Robson, Ollie Lawrence, Ollie Thorley