George Furbank in for England debut, Joe Marler starts in Six Nations
by Michael Cantillon
George Furbank will make his Test debut in England's 2020 Six Nations opener against France in Paris on Sunday.
The 23-year-old has been named by Eddie Jones to start at full-back at the Stade de France, with Elliot Daly shifting to the left wing and Jonny May remaining on the right, as Anthony Watson misses out due to a calf injury.
Elsewhere in the squad, Harlequins prop Joe Marler starts at loosehead in place of the injured Mako Vunipola - the Saracen picking up an eye injury in training this week.
In the second row, Maro Itoje is joined by Bath's Charlie Ewels as George Kruis starts on the bench, while Courtney Lawes moves to start at blindside flanker.
The back-row has been shifted around to accommodate for Billy Vunipola's arm injury, with Tom Curry moving to No 8, Sam Underhill remaining at openside and Lawes at 6.
Skipper Owen Farrell starts at 12 alongside Manu Tuilagi in the centres, while Leicester Tigers duo George Ford and Ben Youngs again make up the half-backs.
Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler join Marler in the front row, while on the bench, Luke Cowan-Dickie has returned to provide hooker cover, having left the squad for personal reasons during the week, while Leicester's Ellis Genge and uncapped Bath prop Will Stuart cover loosehead and tighthead.
Northampton's Lewis Ludlam covers the back-row, Gloucester's Willi Heinz scrum-half, while Exeter's Ollie Devoto and Bath's Jonathan Joseph are further back replacements.
Heading into his fifth Six Nations campaign as England head coach, Eddie Jones said: "It has been a massively exciting week for us. It is the start of the Guinness Six Nations, the best rugby tournament in the world. We have had a great preparation in Portugal with a quality training week this week.
"We have really worried about ourselves, getting ourselves right. We have picked a strong forward pack which is part of the England way and an exciting backline with young George Furbank playing his first Test at fullback.
"France can expect absolute brutality from England, we are going to go out there to make sure they understand what Test rugby is. It is about being brutal, it is about being physical and it is about dominating the set piece."
England: 15 George Furbank, 14 Jonny May, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Jamie George, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Tom Curry
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 George Kruis, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Ollie Devoto, 23 Jonathan Joseph.