FORD SET TO JOIN FARRELL FOR AUSSIE FACE-OFF

THERE will be friends reunited for England here on Saturday when George Ford lines up at No 10 again — with Owen Farrell alongside him at inside centre. A week after being demoted to the bench to allow Farrell to start at flyhalf and Luther Burrell to claim the No 12 shirt, Ford (right) will take on the primary playmaker role again as the tourists aim to seal an historic series victory in the second Test. The 23-year-old made an outstanding contribution to England’s 39-28 triumph in the series opener in Brisbane — setting up two tries — and his promotion is fully deserved. It also represents a personal revival for a gifted player who was booed by sections of the Twickenham crowd at the end of last month. Eddie Jones’ decision to restore the Ford-Farrell axis means disappointment for Burrell, who was replaced just 29 minutes into the first match against the Wallabies. Otherwise, England are expected to name an unchanged XV as they strive to win this series with a game to spare. Meanwhile, the hosts have made four changes to their line-up. Both props have been replaced, with James Slipper and Sekope Kepu coming into the front row in an attempt to bolster the scrum. There are a further two pack changes due to injury, with Sam Carter coming in for Rob Simmons at lock and Sean McMahon asked to fill the giant void at No 8 left by David Pocock. Australia’s head coach, Michael Cheika, was in combative mood after revealing his selections. Amid so much talk about his refusal to engage in mind games with Jones, he said: ‘I’ll sledge you if I can go out on the field and back it up. ‘For me, that sort of thing is only short-term motivation. I want to be bullet-proof from all that stuff and not need to put this thing and that thing on the wall to help us.’ At the start of this week, Jones aired various points about the Wallabies’ shortcomings in the first Test. He suggested that the home side would need to address their physicality, but Cheika hit back — with a pot-shot at English tactics. ‘I’m not concerned about our physicality, but we’ve got to be better at dealing with the niggle off the ball,’ he said. ‘If someone pulls you down, you can’t whack a bloke because you’ll get caught. ‘We don’t do niggles; that’s not our game. I’m not against it — if that’s their strategy, that’s their strategy. Good on them.’ Jones has also argued that his side face a heightened threat this weekend because the Wallabies will be driven by desperation to stay alive in the series. Again, Cheika returned fire, saying: ‘Desperate? Why — because we lost the first game? Losing is part of life. ‘We are one down and in a scrap. That’s what Aussies are like. We’re in a scrap; let’s go.’