MX23RW : Sunday, November 22 04:11:03| >> :120:20606:20606:

Jack Willis to make England debut against Georgia

Jack Willis to make England debut against Georgia
© Reuters
He will play at openside flanker in the Twickenham clash.

Jack Willis will make his eagerly-awaited England debut in Saturday's Autumn Nations Cup opener against Georgia at Twickenham.

Willis has been picked at openside flanker as reward for an outstanding season at Wasps where his breakdown expertise has identified him as one of the Gallagher Premiership's most influential players.

The 23-year-old flanker was due to tour South Africa in 2018 but was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury and his development was then hampered by a significant ankle problem.

Wasps v Bristol Bears – Gallagher Premiership – Semi Final – Ricoh Arena
Wasps flanker Jack Willis (centre) has had an outstanding season in the Gallagher Premiership.

Powerful Worcester centre Ollie Lawrence wins his second cap after making his debut off the bench in last month's 34-5 victory over Italy that sealed the third Six Nations title of the Eddie Jones era.

Joe Launchbury's return to the second row sees Maro Itoje switch to blindside flanker at the expense of Jonny Hill, who is omitted from the 23 altogether. Launchbury forms a new lock partnership with Charlie Ewels.

With three second rows in the starting XV, Jones has opted against picking any engine room cover on the bench. Instead, flankers Ben Earl and Tom Curry are present.

England have tinkered extensively since routing Italy with three changes, one positional, in the back line alone.

Lawrence partners Henry Slade in midfield, forcing Jonathan Joseph to move to the wing, and Elliot Daly returns at full-back at the expense of George Furbank having recovered from a shin problem.

The half-backs of Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell are still present, but the pack shows six changes, one positional, including two new starting props in Ellis Genge and Will Stuart.

A second new cap could be won off the bench with Saracens' Max Malins, who is loan at Bristol, providing back three cover.

Saturday's rivals will be meeting for only the third time and the first outside a World Cup with England posting resounding wins in 2003 and 2011.

England Training Session – The Lensbury Hotel
Worcester centre Ollie Lawrence is set to win his second England cap against Georgia.

Georgia have lost all but one of their 31 games against current tier one opponents, their solitary win coming against Japan in 2014. The Brave Blossoms were elevated to the top table in May.

"We've had a really good week of training. We know there are a lot of expectations on us and we've applied ourselves hard and put a lot of pressure on ourselves in the early part of this week," Jones said.

"Georgia will be a tough opponent, so we have a team with some real power in midfield.

"We have a good mix of youth and experience across the squad and they are completely focused on putting in an excellent performance on Saturday.

"We're looking forward to being back at our home at Twickenham, we are humbled by the opportunity and want to give people a reason to smile during such a tough time for the country."

ID:422005:cQx

Click here for more stories about Jack Willis

Click here for more stories about England

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Rugby Union generic
Read Next:
Matt Proudfoot: 'England prepared for very tough and very brutal clash'
>
Latest Sports Video

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Premier League
Scottish Premiership
La Liga
Serie A
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
Eredivisie
Turkish Super Lig
Belgian Pro League
Greek Superleague
Swiss Super League
Russian Premier League
Ukrainian Premier League
Norwegian Eliteserien
Swedish Allsvenskan
Danish Superliga
Belarusian Premier League
Segunda Division
Serie B
2.Bundesliga
Major League Soccer
Brasileiro
Argentine Primera Division
Copa de la Liga Profesional
Uruguayan Primera Division
Liga MX
AFC Champions League
J1 League
Premier League 2 - Div 1
Gallagher Premiership
NFL
6pm
Eagles
@
Browns
6pm
Steelers
@
Jags
6pm
Lions
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Ravens
6pm
Falcons
@
Saints
6pm
Patriots
@
Texans
6pm
Bengals
@
Washington
9.05pm
Dolphins
@
Broncos
9.05pm
Jets
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Packers
@
Colts
9.25pm
Cowboys
@
Vikings

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!