Five Sarries involved in England opener

Four Saracens will start for England in their Six Nations opener against France on Sunday.

Selected at inside centre, Owen Farrell will captain the side as he did at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and is joined in the back division by Elliot Daly who lines up on the wing. 

Hooker Jamie George retains his starting berth as does Maro Itoje while George Kruis is named among the replacements.

Mako Vunipola has been rested.

Head coach Eddie Jones, heading into his fifth Guinness Six Nations as England men’s head coach, said: “It has been a massively exciting week for us. It is the start of the Guinness Six Nations, the best rugby tournament in the world. We have had a great preparation in Portugal with a quality  training week this week.

“We have really worried about ourselves, getting ourselves right.  We have picked a strong forward pack which is part of the England way and an exciting backline with young George Furbank playing his first Test at fullback.

“France can expect absolute brutality from England, we are going to go out there to make sure they understand what Test rugby is.It is about being brutal, it is about being physical and it is about dominating the set piece.”

England last played France in the 2019 edition of the tournament, beating Les Bleus 44-8 at Twickenham Stadium. Under Jones, England have won two of the last four Guinness Six Nations including a Grand Slam in 2016.

England team to play France on Sunday:

15 George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
12 Owen Farrell © (Saracens)
11 Elliot Daly (Saracens)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1 Joe Marler (Harlequins)
2 Jamie George (Saracens)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
4 Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
7 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
8 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)

Replacements

16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
18 Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
19 George Kruis (Saracens)
20 Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)
21 Willi Heinz (Gloucester)
22 Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs)
23 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)