Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Date: Saturday, 31 October Kick-off: 16:45 GMT |
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 Live with text commentary on BBC Sport website and app |
Highlights: Watch on BBC Sport website and app after the match. |
Wasps flanker Jack Willis has been rewarded for his outstanding club form with a call-up to the England squad.
Willis’s club-mates Jacob Umaga and Dan Robson have also been named in a 36-man squad for England’s autumn matches.
Exeter’s double-winning lock Jonny Hill has also been selected, but there is no place for Chiefs fly-half Joe Simmonds.
England will bid to seal the Six Nations title when they face Italy on Saturday before playing four games in the Autumn Nations Cup.
A bonus-point win in Rome could see England clinch the Six Nations title, in what will be their first game in more than seven months after the meeting with the Barbarians last Sunday was called off after several players breached Covid protocols.
“We were obviously disappointed with the postponement of the Barbarians game but we moved to plan B, had a highly competitive training session instead of the match and now we are fully focused on the Italy game and the goal of winning the Six Nations,” said head coach Eddie Jones.
Exeter hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has been ruled out through injury, as has club-mate Jack Nowell, while Northampton lock Courtney Lawes and Sale centre Manu Tuilagi are also long-term absentees.
More to follow.
England squad
Backs: Cokanasiga, Farrell, Furbank, Heinz, Joseph, Lawrence, Malins, Marchant, May, Robson, Slade, Thorley, Umaga, Watson, Youngs.
Forwards: Curry, Dunn, Earl, Ewels, Genge, George, J Hill, T Hill, Itoje, Launchbury, Ludlam, Obano, Ribbans, Singleton, Sinckler, Stuart, Underhill, B Vunipola, M Vunipola, Williams, Willis.
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