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England Men

17 Oct 2019 | 3 min |

England team to play Australia in Rugby World Cup

England head coach Eddie Jones has named his side to play Australia in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final (KO 8:15am).

Captain Owen Farrell is named at fly half with Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade selected as the centre pairing for the game in Oita, which will be broadcast on ITV.

Jonny May will make his 50th appearance for England on Saturday and is named on the left wing with Anthony Watson on the right. Elliot Daly is selected at fullback.

Billy Vunipola starts at number 8 having recovered from injury with Tom Curry and Sam Underhill named as flankers.

Mako Vunipola makes his first start in Japan having played in his first game of the tournament against Argentina from the bench.

Jones said: “Once you get to the quarter-finals it’s about having the right mindset. We know how well we can play, it’s about us playing to our strengths and trying to take away from what Australia want.

“Australia are a clever team, they will have some specific attacking strategies to play against us so we need to have a great situational awareness. We need to defend with brutality and when we have the ball we need play on top of them.”

On May reaching 50 caps for England, Jones added: “It is a great achievement and an honour for him and his family. Everyone in the team is really pleased for him. I think this World Cup has really shown how hard he has worked at his game.

"He has come back from a significant knee injury to be close to the fastest winger, if not the fastest winger in the world, and has the ability to score tries from any situation.”

England starting XV

15. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 36 caps)

14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 39 caps)

13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 23 caps)

12. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 37 caps)

11. Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 49 caps)

10. Owen Farrell (Saracens, 76 caps) C

9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 92 caps)

1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 55 caps)

2. Jamie George (Saracens, 42 caps)

3. Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 28 caps)

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 31 caps)

5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 78 caps)

6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 16 caps)

7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)

8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 48 caps)

Finishers

16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)

17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 65 caps)

18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 92 caps)

19. George Kruis (Saracens, 38 caps)

20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)

21. Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 7 caps)

22. George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 62 caps)

23. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 44 caps)