Eddie Jones has made eight changes to his 25-man squad and has dispensed with more than 200 England Test caps for next week’s Six Nations game against Ireland.
The most noticeable absentee is George Ford who has seen his hold on the number 10 jersey wrenched from his grasp by Marcus Smith. Ford, who will be leaving Leicester Tigers at the end of the season for a move to Sale Sharks, had only recently found his way back in the England fold but played only 22 minutes against Scotland and Italy and was an unused substitute in the win over Wales. Elliot Daly is the other surprise omission in the backline given he has started two of England’s matches at 13 this campaign.
In their place comes the uncapped London Irish wing Olli Hassell-Collins and Northampton’s George Furbank who can cover both 10 and 15 off the bench.
The forward pack sees a raft of changes with an entirely new front row set. Luke-Cowan Dickie’s selection was unlikely following a knee inju …
- March 3, 2022
