Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi return to the England team to face Wales in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday, while Harry Randall gets another chance to impress at scrum-half in the squad named by coach Eddie Jones on Thursday.
Lawes missed the opening two games with concussion but comes back at blindside flanker to captain the team in the continued absence of the injured Owen Farrell.
Tuilagi is back after the latest of his long run of injuries and partners outside centre Henry Slade in midfield.
Tuilagi made his debut in 2011 but has missed 79 available matches since then, including a remarkable 50 of the 71 since Jones took over after the 2015 World Cup.
“Manu is a gain-line accumulator,” Jones told a news conference. “He wins the gain line consistently, draws defenders in which creates space for other options. He does that better than anyone else in the world when he’s at full tilt.”
Jones said he was looking forward to seeing that centre partnership work alongside fly-half Marcus Smith.
“You’ve got Marcus, who has sleight of hand, quick feet, the ability to beat people one on one in space. You have Sladey, who has an educated left foot, a good passer of the ball, and also the ability to make breaks,” he said.
“To complement that you have power with Manu. It’s handy to have a big back because they dent the line and create space for the little guys to play in that space.”
Maro Itoje and Charlie Ewels are named as locks, Tom Curry stays at open-side flanker and Alex Dombrandt is No. 8. Luke Cowan-Dickie starts at hooker with Kyle Sinckler set to win his 50th cap at prop.
Max Malins and Jack Nowell are the wingers, with Freddie Steward at full-back. Randall, who looked lively for 55 minutes in the win over Italy, will win his fourth cap, while replacement Ben Youngs will become England’s most-capped player with 115 if he gets on.
Wales will give No. 8 Taulupe Faletau his first taste of test rugby in seven months but wing Louis Rees-Zammit has been dropped from the match-day squad.
Faletau has played just two club games since injuring his ankle on the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa last year but has been drafted in to start by coach Wayne Pivac in a back-row that also includes Ross Moriarty, who switches to the blindside flank, and Taine Basham.
“He has trained well during the week and got 80 minutes last week. From our point of view he brings a lot of experience so we’re very excited to have Toby [Faletau] back,” Pivac said in a statement from Welsh Rugby on Thursday.
The return of winger Josh Adams and the form of a rejuvenated Alex Cuthbert, winning his 50th cap on Saturday, means there is no room in the side — or the squad — for Rees-Zammit in a surprise omission.
“It is also great to have Josh Adams back from injury. That means Louis Rees-Zammit is the unfortunate one this week that misses out,” Pivac said.
“But we have looked at the opposition we’re playing and niggly injuries that players pick up from time to time, and we think that in this particular match, the way the game will go, that Alex and Josh are the right selection.”
The rest of the side is as expected, with fly-half Dan Biggar facing an intriguing battle with opposite number Smith in the England camp.
He will be alongside scrum-half Tomos Williams, with a midfield partnership of Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin.
The front-row of the scrum features hooker Ryan Elias and either side of him are props Wyn Jones and Tomas Francis, while Will Rowlands and Adam Beard are the lock pairing.
Fly-half Gareth Anscombe and experienced centre Jonathan Davies are among the replacements.
England XV
Freddie Steward, Max Malins, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jack Nowell, Marcus Smith, Harry Randall, Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Kyle Sinckler, Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Alex Dombrandt
Replacements: Jamie George, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Nick Isiekwe, Sam Simmonds, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Elliot Daly
Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams, Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham, Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Jac Morgan, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Anscombe, Jonathan Davies.
Wales XV
Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams, Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Jac Morgan, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Anscombe, Jonathan Davies.