UPDATE 1-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 big Bath winger Cokansiga's fourth cap but his first start in the Six nations and he comes in for the injured Jack Nowell. There is no pure winger on the bench, though Henry Slade offers flexible backline cover.

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 loosehead Ellis Genge gets his first start since November 2017, 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. Dan Robson also has to be content with the bench as Jones again seemed to show a lack of faith in his backup scrumhalf, who has only 10 minutes in the win over France to show for his international career to date. "Italy is a bit of an unknown quantity but when Conor (O'Shea) allows them to play rugby they play well," said coach Eddie Jones, who was caught out by the Italians' since-outlawed "no ruck" approach last time they came to Twickenham two years ago.

"They have played terrific games in the Six Nations. They are fitter, physically stay in the contest a lot longer and they are quite unpredictable in the way they attack. "We expect Italy to throw the ball around a bit so we are going to have to defend very well against their unpredictability and when we have got the ball, we have to use it wisely."

England will expect to win and collect a four-try bonus point to keep them in the hunt for the title. They finish at home against Scotland next week but would need Wales to lose either in Edinburgh on Saturday or at home to Ireland in their last game to open the door. Italy, who have never beaten England and have lost their last 20 matches in the competition, name their team later on Thursday.

England team to play Italy: 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 Toby Davis)

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