Cokanasiga to add firepower in absence of Manu Tuilagi

Joe Cokanasiga will provide firepower to England’s back line in the absence of Manu Tuilagi after being picked on the left wing for tomorrow’s World Cup clash with the USA.

Cokanasiga replaces Jonny May in one of 10 changes to the starting XV that launched the Pool C campaign with an underwhelming 35-3 victory over Tonga in Sapporo.

The rampaging Fijian-born 21-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury but has been passed fit for the second match of England’s four-day turnaround.

Cokanasiga’s presence makes up for Tuilagi being omitted from the 23 after the Leicester wrecking ball laid waste to Tonga with a devastating two-try salvo and series of marauding runs.

Captain Owen Farrell drops to the bench so George Ford, who leads the team, continues at fly-half inside a new-look centre combination of Piers Francis and Jonathan Joseph.

Ruaridh Mcconnochie wins his second cap on the right wing with Elliot Daly continuing at full-back and Willi Heinz getting the nod ahead of Ben Youngs at scrum half.

There are three survivors from the pack that started against Tonga in prop Joe Marler, flanker Tom Curry and number eight Billy Vunipola.

Vunipola started throughout the warm-up series and continues his run of games after a frustrating spell of injury that saw him suffer three broken arms in a year.

Henry Slade is absent despite making his comeback against Tonga after three months out with a knee injury incurred during last season’s Gallagher Premiership final.

Openside flanker Sam Underhill drops out of the squad completely and there is a return for back row Mark Wilson on the bench following his struggle with a knee injury.

● Fiji will look to get off the mark in Pool D against minnows Uruguay in Kamaishi today. Fiji won 47-15 in Milton Keynes in 2015 in their only previous World Cup encounter with the South Americans.

England have drafted in Joe Cokanasiga for the clash with USA.