Six Nations 2014: Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell set for England debuts
Six Nations 2014: Stuart Lancaster hands Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell their England debuts for Saturday's opener in France
Stuart Lancaster has handed England debuts to Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against France in Paris.
The Red Rose coach named Northampton Saints centre Burrell, who has scored three Aviva Premiership tries this season, in his starting XV as well as 20-year-old Nowell, who impressed in Exeter’s Heineken Cup ties against Toulon in December.
We’ve had a good two weeks and all the players have pushed hard for selection
Stuart Lancaster
Lancaster made two further changes to the side which narrowly lost to New Zealand at Twickenham in November as Gloucester winger Jonny May comes into the team, whilst Harlequins No9 Danny Care starts at scrum-half.
“We can’t wait for Saturday,” Lancaster said. “We’ve had a good two weeks and all the players have pushed hard for selection.”
Struggling Saracens wing Chris Ashton and Leicester Tigers scrum-half Ben Youngs have been omitted from the England party to travel to Paris.
Meanwhile, France have named Stade Francais fly-half Jules Plisson in their side to face the Red Rose, with the 22-year-old set to earn his first Les Bleus cap.
England: Mike Brown; Jack Nowell, Luther Burrell, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May; Owen Farrell, Danny Care; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Henry Thomas, Dave Attwood, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, Brad Barritt, Alex Goode.
France: Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Maxime Medard; Jules Plisson, Jean-Marc Doussain; Thomas Domingo, Benjamin Kayser, Nicolas Mas, Alexandre Flanquart, Pascal Pape, Yannick Nyanga, Bernard Le Roux, Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Yannick Forestier, Rabah Slimani, Yoann Maestri, Antoie Burban, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Gael Fickou.
In the video above, Matt Dawson returns to join Will Carling & Scott Quinnell as they catch-up on the nail-biting final rounds of the Heineken Cup, catch up with another one of Matt’s Celebrity Friends and answer your Twitter questions.
