Jones shows he believes in miracles

England v Japan

Tomorrow, 3.15pm

EDDIE JONES has turned to miracle men Jonny May and Jamie George to give England’s autumn the kiss of life.

May (above) and George suffered injuries so serious last month that Jones assumed they would be ruled out for the rest of the year.

Yet both have defied medical expectation to make Lazarus-like recoveries and enable the England coach to pick them against Japan at Twickenham tomorrow.

“I didn’t realise there was a chance of Jonny making it,” said captain Owen Farrell of May, who dislocated an elbow playing for Gloucester three weeks ago and needed oxygen as he left the field in a brace. “Then I came into camp and found I was rooming with him, which was a bit of a shock. All of a sudden he’s absolutely fine.”

Jones expected the winger, who lies second behind Rory Underwood on England’s all-time try-scoring list, to miss not only the four November Tests, but next year’s Six Nations, too.

He also anticipated being without George, who broke two bones in his foot five weeks ago and is only halfway through the recovery period set by his club. Again, Farrell was somewhat dumbfounded, admitting: “It seemed like there was no chance – and all of a sudden he is playing.”

The Saracens hooker will play off the bench but May is thrust straight back into a starting line-up under pressure to repair the damage of defeat by Argentina.

In all Jones changes a third of the team beaten, with May replacing Joe Cokanasiga, and Jack van Poortvliet in for scrum-half Ben Youngs.

Manu Tuilagi drops down to the bench to give a start to Guy Porter. Up front, Sam Simmonds, who missed the summer tour of Australia, replaces Billy Vunipola at No.8 and Maro Itoje moves to blindside to make room at lock for new cap David Ribbans.