- No 8 keeps place in team amid wholesale changes
- George Ford captain; Henry Slade ruled out of 23
Eddie Jones bristled at the suggestion he is taking a risk by on Tuesday naming Billy Vunipola to start for the second time in five days against the USA, and issuing a stark warning to the 10 new faces in his England side. Vunipola is one of five players who will keep their place in the starting lineup for England’s second World Cup match on Thursday but it is those incoming at the forefront of Jones’s mind.
This will be Vunipola’s 11th successive appearance for England – he was the only player to start all four warm‑up matches – but, given his recent injury history, concerns would seem justified. Before the first of those 11 games he managed two Tests in two years and in the second of those he broke his arm for the second time. Jones, though, is adamant “the best way to keep him fit is to play him”. Moreover Mark Wilson is not quite ready to start, so the head coach’s options at No 8 are limited.
Written by Gerard Meagher in Kobe
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/24/billy-vunipola-among-england-quintet-to-start-again-against-usa-rugby-world-cup under the title “Playing Billy Vunipola against USA is not a risk, insists Eddie Jones”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
