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Rugby News

Cole among Tigers quintet to face France

England head coach Eddie Jones includes five Leicester Tigers in his squad to face France in the second round of the Guinness Six Nations on Sunday, with Dan Cole returning to the matchday line-up.
 
Jones has made two changes to the starting team that beat Ireland last weekend with Courtney Lawes replacing the injured Maro Itoje in the second row and Chris Ashton named on the right wing in place of Jack Nowell for his first start in the Six Nations since 2013.

Tigers trio Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs all retain their places in the starting team, with Cole joining clubmate George Ford among the replacements.

Joe Launchbury is added to the bench and Ben Moon of Exeter Chiefs is included after Ellis Genge provided prop cover in Dublin.

Jones said: “After the Ireland game we have had to refocus and reset. Players have been very good and certainly by Sunday we’ll be at our best.

“The French are always an interesting side to play against. They have a lot of unpredictability so it’s hard to prepare tactically against them so we have had a real focus on ourselves.”
 
England have won nine of the last 12 Six Nations games against France with the visitors managing just one win at Twickenham in the Six Nations era back in 2005.

Kick-off is at 3.00pm and there is live coverage on ITV Sport.
 
England (v France, Twickenham, Sunday 3.00pm) 
15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 26 caps)
14 Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks, 43 caps)
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
12 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 28 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 41 caps)

10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 66 caps) (c)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 81 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 52 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 33 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 18 caps)
4 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 69 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 28 caps)
6 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 9 caps)
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 37 caps)
 
Replacements

16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)
17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 82 caps)
19 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 54 caps)
20 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 19 caps)
21 Dan Robson (Wasps, uncapped)
22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
23 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 30 caps)