Rugby-Cokanasiga and Te'o start for England against Italy


Reuters | Updated: 07-03-2019 16:05 IST | Created: 07-03-2019 16:05 IST
Rugby-Cokanasiga and Te'o start for England against Italy

Winger Joe Cokanasiga and centre Ben Te'o will start in a heavyweight England backline against Italy on Saturday as Eddie Jones announced a team showing five changes from their Six Nations defeat to Wales two weeks ago.

It is Cokansiga's fourth cap but first start in the Six nations, while Te'o makes his first appearance in the competition this season, wearing the number 12 shirt with Manu Tuilagi moving to outside centre in a heavy-duty midfield partnership. Leicester's fiery Ellis Genge starts at loosehead prop, with Ben Moon shifting to the bench. Joe Launchbury is named in the second row following the injuries to Courtney Lawes and Maro Itoje. Brad Shields comes in at blindside flanker with Mark Wilson on the bench. Prop Dan Cole and number eight Nathan Hughes come back in to the replacements having missed the Cardiff defeat. Italy, who have never beaten England and have lost their last 20 matches in the competition, name their team later on Thursday.

15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 28 caps) 14 Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 3 caps) 13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 30 caps) 12 Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors 16 caps) 11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 43 caps) 10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 68 caps) (captain) 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps) 1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps) 2 Jamie George (Saracens, 35 caps) 3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 20 caps) 4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 56 caps) 5 George Kruis (Saracens, 30 caps) 6 Brad Shields (Wasps, 6 caps) 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 8 caps) 8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 39 caps) Replacements (203 caps) 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps) 17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps) 18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps) 19 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 20 caps) 20 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 11 caps) 21 Dan Robson (Wasps, 1 cap) 22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 53 caps) 23 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 20 caps) (Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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