England change five for South Africa Test / Photo: Andres LARROVERE - AFP/File
England change five for South Africa Test
England have changed five of the starters that lost a Six Nations thriller against France four months ago for a Nations Championship Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.
In come full-back George Furbank, wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, flanker Tom Curry and lock George Martin.
They replace Elliot Daly, Tom Roebuck, Ben Spencer, Guy Pepper and regular captain Maro Itoje for the match at Ellis Park stadium.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has included Pepper among the replacements, with livewire flanker Henry Pollock also starting on the bench.
Fin Smith starts at fly-half alongside van Poortvliet with utility back Marcus Smith and regular starting scrum-half Alex Mitchell among the finishers.
Itoje is being rested to avoid burn-out. The 31-year-old lock led the British and Irish Lions to a series win in Australia last year.
He also played in the November Tests and the Six Nations Championship, as well as mourning the death of his mother.
Itoje has completed more Test minutes than any other player in the game over the last decade. While he rests, hooker Jamie George will return to the captaincy he held before Itoje took over.
England face Rugby World Cup title-holders South Africa hoping to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
Before scoring seven tries in a 48-46 loss to Six Nations champions France in Paris, they fell to Scotland, Ireland and Italy, for the first time, in the competition.
"Playing South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the great Tests in world rugby and an opportunity we are excited to embrace," Borthwick said in a statement.
"We have prepared well since we arrived here last week and I sense a real excitement within the squad to get our Nations Championship campaign underway."
After the Johannesburg Test, England return home for an 'away' fixture against Fiji at the stadium of Everton football club in Liverpool.
Fiji will play all three 'home' matches in Britain as their national stadium does not meet competition requirements. Travel logistics and commercial value were also considered.
The team ranked sixth behind South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, France and Argentina, then travel to South America to face Los Pumas on July 18 in the northern city Santiago del Estero.
The match at Ellis Park will be among six first round fixtures in the inaugural Nations Championship, which pits northern and southern hemisphere nations against each other.
After six rounds, three each in July and November, the competition will climax with six matches at Twickenham in late November to determine final placings.
Team (15-1)
George Furbank; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley; Fin Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Ollie Chessum; George Martin, Alex Coles; Joe Heyes, Jamie George (capt), Ellis Genge
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Beno Obano, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Charlie Ewels, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith
Coach: Steve Borthwick (ENG)
Y.Destro--PV
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