LONDON – Back rower Tom Wood has been named to captain a slightly different looking England for their upcoming World Cup warm-up match against France at Twickenham.
Wood will be joined in the back row by debutant Calum Clark as well as Ben Morgan who returns from injury to no.8.
Henry Slade and Sam Burgess will also make the debuts as well as form a new centre pairing outside establish pivot Owen Farrell who returns to the fray after missing most of the 6 Nations.
The team includes four starting debutants as well as Exeter Chiefs Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie potentially earning his first cap off the bench for the ‘friendly’.
England play France in successive tests home and away before playing Ireland in the final match before the World Cup starts on September 18.
England team to play France.
15 Alex Goode (Saracens, 17 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 9 caps)
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
12 Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
11 Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 13 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 29 caps)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 21 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 20 caps)
2 Rob Webber (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
3 Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
4 George Kruis (Saracens, 7 caps)
5 Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs, 23 caps)
6 Tom Wood (capt, Northampton Saints, 36 caps)
7 Calum Clark (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
8 Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 27 caps)
Replacements
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
17 Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints, 19 caps)
18 David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 41 caps)
19 Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby, 20 caps)
20 James Haskell (Wasps, 58 caps)
21 Danny Care (Harlequins, 50 caps)
22 Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks, 12 caps)
23 Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby, 20 caps)