Jones ready to unleash Te’o-Lagi partnership against Italy
ENGLAND will unleash a destructive centre partnership of Ben Te’o and Manu Tuilagi upon Italy in tomorrow’s Guinness Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
It is the first time the powerful carriers have started together, with Henry Slade dropping to the bench to accommodate Tuilagi’s switch to 13 and Te’o’s inclusion at inside centre.
The pair were deployed in tandem for five minutes of last autumn’s 37-18 victory over Australia and have run alongside each other extensively during training.
“We saw them at the end of the game against Australia. It’s always something we wanted to look at in order to develop another option,” head coach Eddie Jones said.
“We’ve been really happy with Henry Slade, but this just gives us another way of playing so we’re looking forward to it.”
Captain and fly-half Owen Farrell insists there is more to their game than brute force.
“They’re two lads who can do a lot of damage, but who also have some subtleties to their game as well,” Farrell said.
Continuing the theme of a bulldozing backline emphatically the biggest of Jones’ era – is Joe Cokanasiga’s inclusion on the right wing after Jack Nowell failed to recover from a shoulder injury. Cokanasiga will win his fourth cap after making his Six Nations debut against Wales in Cardiff.
“We’re able now to pick a big backline which can play a little bit differently. That gives us another option,” added Jones.