England squad to Face Fiji in Summer Series
Courtney Lawes will win his 100th cap as England captain on Saturday as Steve Borthwick’s men take on Fiji at Twickenham.
- England v Fiji, Saturday 26 August
- Twickenham Stadium, kick-off 3:15pm
There are nine changes to the starting side from last weekend. In the forwards those are: Theo Dan, Dan Cole, Ollie Chessum, Jack Willis and Ben Earl - who moves to No.8. In the backs Alex Mitchell, Ollie Lawrence, Jonny May and Max Malins start.
Willis, Mitchell and May make their first starts of the Summer Nations Series, whilst Jack Walker earns a spot in the match day squad for the first time this summer. Ellis Genge and George Ford are named vice-captains. Lewis Ludlam also returns to the squad since his appearance against Wales in Cardiff.
England team to face Fiji
Starting
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 25 caps)
14. Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 20 caps)
13. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)
12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 52 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 72 caps)
10. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 84 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 51 caps)
2. Theo Dan (Saracens, 2 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 101 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 69 caps)
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes – captain (Northampton Saints, 99 caps)
7. Jack Willis (Toulouse, 12 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 17 caps)
Replacements
16. Jack Walker (Harlequins, 3 caps)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 81 caps)
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 28 caps)
19. David Ribbans (Toulon, 7 caps)
20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 20 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 89 caps)
22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 23 caps)
23. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 18 caps)
Borthwick on his squad
"Fiji have proven themselves to be a strong opposition and we look forward to what we expect to be an exciting and challenging game. Rest assured that we will be looking to convert the opportunities we have recently been creating week-on-week into points on the scoreboard.
"We couldn’t be prouder of Courtney on achieving his incredible milestone after 14 years of excellent performances for his country. It has been a privilege to watch his journey and witness him develop into a truly outstanding rugby player.
"Not only is Courtney an exceptional talent and an excellent professional, he is also a brilliant role model for young players every time he steps onto the field."
