Jones sure Care will mark England milestone in style

LEEDS-BORN Danny Care will tomorrow become England’s most capped scrum-half as head coach Eddie Jones makes two changes to his side for the NatWest Six Nations game with Wales at Twickenham.

Care will edge past the milestone of 77, held by Matt Dawson, after he was chosen to replace knee-injury victim Ben Youngs in the number nine jersey

England have also brought in Jonathan Joseph for Ben Te’o. He starts at outside centre after making an impact off the bench in last weekend’s 46-15 victory over Italy in Rome, with Te’o demoted to a replacement role for the roundtwo match.

Richard Wigglesworth has been drafted straight on to the bench, having been called up as cover after Jones’s first choice in the position ruptured his medial collateral ligament at the Stadio Olimpico.

“Danny Care very much deserves the honour of being the most capped England scrum-half and I am sure he’ll make the most of his opportunity on Saturday,” Jones said.

“We want to make sure our setpiece is dominant, our defence is ferocious and that we are at our best against Wales.”

The selection of Joseph over Te’o was predicted by Wales coach Warren Gatland earlier this week and sees England restored to their strongest available starting XV.

Te’o impressed with his powerful carrying against Italy, but faded in his first appearance since recovering from ankle surgery last June and Jones has opted for the greater experience and slick footwork of Joseph in his place.

Apart from the presence of Te’o and Wigglesworth, the bench remains unchanged.

Jones, meanwhile, has attempted to pile pressure on to inexperienced 24-year-old Welsh fly-half Rhys Patchell, who will be winning his seventh cap in the absence of injured playmakers Dan Biggar and Rhys Priestland.

Patchell was influential in last weekend’s 34-7 rout of Scotland in Cardiff, but injury-hit Wales were widely written off leading into that match and Jones insists England at Twickenham are a different proposition.

“Every time Rhys Patchell looks up, he’s going to see Jonathan Joseph in his vision – it’s not a great sight,” Jones said.

“Wales have to get the ball wide and Patchell hasn’t played much Test match rugby. He’s a young guy, he’s inexperienced and is their third-choice 10.

England team to face Wales: M Brown (Harlequins); A Watson (Bath Rugby), J Joseph (Bath Rugby), O Farrell (Saracens), J May (Leicester Tigers); G Ford (Leicester Tigers), D Care (Harlequins); M Vunipola (Saracens), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), J Launchbury (Wasps), M Itoje (Saracens), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs). Replacements: J George (Saracens), A Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs), H Williams (Exeter Chiefs), G Kruis (Saracens), S Underhill (Bath Rugby), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), B Te’o (Worcester), J Nowell (Exeter Chiefs).