England’s second game of the World Cup sees Eddie Jones make 10 changes to face the USA, who are playing their first game of the tournament. The build-up has been rather rum, with Jones predicting that his side’s opponents will play like “15 Donald Trumps”, an assertion that totally bewildered his opposite number, Gary Gold. “At this stage, with all due respect, we’re not a good enough rugby team to be making comments or answers to questions like that,” Gold said. “I don’t know what it means.”
Though the turnaround from the 35-3 victory over Tonga has been brief, this has been an accommodatingly scheduled pool stage for England, who are given a second game to gently warm themselves into proceedings before forthcoming, and more helpfully-spaced, games against Argentina and France. Though the personnel have changed, they will want to put on a more convincing performance than in their opener, and ideally another bonus point against a nation that has won one game – against Russia in 2011 – out of 12 in their last three World Cups.
Here are the teams:
England: Elliot Daly, Ruaridh McConnochie, Jonathan Joseph, Piers Francis, Joe Cokanasiga, George Ford (captain), Willi Heinz; Billy Vunipola, Lewis Ludlam, Tom Curry, George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Dan Cole, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Joe Marler.
Reserves: Jack Singleton, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, Mark Wilson, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Anthony Watson.
United States: Will Hooley, Blaine Scully (captain), Marcel Brache, Paul Lasike, Martin Iosefo, AJ MacGinty, Shaun Davies; Cam Dolan, John Quill, Tony Lamborn, Nick Civetta, Ben Landry, Titi Lamositele, Joe Taufete’e, David Ainu’u.
Reserves: Dylan Fawsitt, Olive Kilifi, Paul Mullen, Greg Peterson, Hanco Germishuys, Ruben de Haas, Bryce Campbell, Mike Te’o.
And here’s Rob Kitson’s match preview. And also, finally, welcome:
Kick-off: 11.45am BST, 6.45am EDT, 7.45pm local in Kobe.
