Skipper Lawes makes 100th appearance as May returns
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Courtney Lawes will captain the England team against Fiji as he becomes only the fifth English player to reach 100 test caps, with Jonny May also included in the starting XV after being drafted into the World Cup squad.
Lawes takes the captaincy off the absent Owen Farrell, for whom Saturday marks the second of his four matches suspended for a recent red card against Wales, whilst May gets the call after an injury that ruled Anthony Watson out of the tournament.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Courtney on achieving his incredible milestone after 14 years of excellent performances for his country,” England boss Steve Borthwick said.
“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.”
Alex Mitchell, drafted into the squad after an injury to Jack Van Poortvliet which ruled the latter out of the tournament, gets his first start at scrum-half, while young hooker Theo Dan also starts in England colours for the first time.
Ben Earl is chosen to fill the gap at number eight in the absence of Billy Vunipola, with Jack Willis completing the back row alongside Lawes on the flank.
The last notable selection sees Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi come together in an all-new centre pairing, the fourth different combination tried this August.
“After another eventful and dramatic encounter against the number one team in the world in Dublin last weekend, we are delighted to be back at Twickenham with our home supporters to welcome an in-form Fiji team,” Borthwick added.
“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.
“At this our last Test before heading to France, I want to thank our fans for all the support you continue to give us, and it means a lot to us that you will be behind us all the way on our World Cup journey.”
England: Steward, Malins, Lawrence, Tuilagi, May, Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Dan, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes (c), Willis, Earl.
Replacements: Walker, Marler, Stuart, Ribbans, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Marchant
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