Ben Youngs made to wait for cap record as Harry Randall starts
about 2 years in The Irish Times
England enter their pivotal Guinness Six Nations match against Wales with Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes restored to the team following spells out through injury.
Tuilagi makes his first start in the competition in almost two years after completing his recovery from a torn hamstring and will resume the centre partnership with Henry Slade last seen in the autumn.
Lawes is also making his maiden England appearance of 2022 having overcome concussion, enabling him to pack down at blindside flanker and relieve Tom Curry of the captaincy duties.
In an unexpected twist, however, Ben Youngs must surpass Jason Leonard’s record as England’s most capped played as a replacement due to Harry Randall continuing as starting scrumhalf.
Youngs was expected to be restored at nine after being demoted for the five-try rout of Italy in Rome, but he will win his 115th cap off the bench before a full house at Twickenham.
Eddie Jones has made three changes in personnel and one positional switch for round three with Luke Cowan-Dickie displacing Jamie George at hooker to complete the new arrivals into the starting XV.
Maro Itoje moves from the back to the secondrow and Alex Dombrandt holds off the challenge of Sam Simmonds at number eight. Tighthead prop Kyle Sinckler will win his 50th cap.
Jones said: “It will also be a special match with two significant milestones for Ben and Kyle, both of whom have made outstanding contributions to English rugby so far in their careers. We congratulate them and we know there is more to come ahead for them.
“We’ve prepared very well for this game, the squad have really come together on and off the pitch.
“Wales are a good, tough side and Six Nations champions and it will make for an exciting Test match in front of a full Twickenham crowd.
“We’ve got a talented, young, hungry squad who have trained with real intensity this week. We’re ready to go at them and can’t wait to play in front of our supporters again.”
England: Freddie Steward; Max Malins, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jack Nowell; Marcus Smith, Harry Randall; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Kyle Sinckler; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: Jamie George, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Nick Isiekwe, Sam Simmonds, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Elliot Daly.
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