Rugby: Rugby-Daly back on the wing in only England change against France

LONDON (Reuters) – England’s Elliot Daly will return to the starting team on the left wing away to France on Saturday as coach Steve Borthwick on Thursday made only one, injury-enforced change to the side that beat Ireland 23-22 last week.

Daly, who started the first three games of the championship, comes back after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was ruled out due to concussion, with Tommy Freeman swapping to the right wing

Centre Manu Tuilagi is named among the replacements for the first time in the championship and could win his 60th and final cap ahead of an expected move to France at the end of the season that would rule him out of selection.

Also drafted back onto the bench is back rower Ethan Roots, in place of the injured Chandler Cunningham-South.

England have not beaten France away since 2016 but after last week’s superb Twickenham display, they go into the game on a high.

“After such a hard-fought win against Ireland we realise how important it is to back that performance up with another similar display in Lyon on Saturday,” Borthwick said in a statement.

“France remain one of the very top sides in the world, and will pose a great challenge for us.

“We’ve had a great preparation so far this week and there is a genuine sense of anticipation and determination around the camp as we head to what will be an exciting final weekend.”

England are second in the standings on 12 points, with France fourth, behind Scotland, both on 11.

By the time they kick off at 2000GMT in Lyon they will already know whether Ireland have secured the title.

The Irish are odds-on to do so as they realistically need only a losing bonus point against the Scots in Dublin to retain their crown, such is the superiority of their points difference.

Should Ireland fall to a shock defeat, without a bonus point, then a bonus-point win for England would be enough for them to be crowned champions for the first time since 2020.

France’s only chance of winning the title depends on a highly unlikely combination of results that include them winning with a bonus point and making up a 76-point deficit on the leaders.

The match is taking place in Lyon as the Stade de France is being prepared for the Olympics.

England team to play France on Saturday (2000 GMT)

15. George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 8 caps), 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 7 caps), 13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 61 caps), 12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath, 23 caps), 11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 68 caps), 10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 95 caps) – vice captain, 9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 14 caps), 1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 61 caps) – vice captain, 2. Jamie George (Saracens, 89 caps) – captain, 3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 111 caps), 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 80 caps) – vice captain, 5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 11 caps), 6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps), 7. Sam Underhill (Bath, 34 caps), 8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 29 caps)

Replacements: 16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 11 caps), 17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 92 caps), 18. Will Stuart (Bath, 37 caps), 19. Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps), 20. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 16 caps), 21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 100 caps), 22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 31 caps), 23. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 59 caps)

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ken Ferris)