GREGOR TOWNSEND has made six changes to the Scotland team which started in Wales last weekend’s home defeat to Wales ahead of this coming Saturday’s daunting trip to Twickenham to take on a resurgent England.
Two changes in the back-line have been enforced with Sean Maitland returning at full-back and Byron McGuigan resuming on the wing having finished the last match there, in place of injured Blair Kinghorn (ankle) and Tommy Seymour (ribs) respectively.
The other change in the back-line sees Sam Johnson preferred to his Glasgow Warriors team-mate Peter Horne at inside centre. Chris Harris returns from injury to cover the outside backs from the bench.
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In the pack, Ben Toolis switches in to the second-row with Jonny Gray dropping to the bench, while Hamish Watson and Sam Skinner (who have both missed most of this campaign through injury) will look to add some oomph at open-side and blind-side flanker. Magnus Bradbury shifts to No 8, which means Josh Strauss is on the bench, and Jamie Ritchie, who has not recovered from a shoulder/neck injury sustained against Wales.
The starting pack will consist of seven Edinburgh players, plus Simon Berghan on the bench.
Meanwhile, Eddie Jones has made four changes to his England team for this final match of the 2019 Six Nations, including winger Joe Cokanasiga – man-of-the-match last time out against Italy – being replaced by Jack Nowell. Henry Slade comes into midfield for Ben Te’0, while Ben Moon and Mark Wilson come in at loose-head prop and blind-side flanker.
Scotland (v England at Twickenham, Saturday, 5pm): Seam Maitland; Darcy Graham, Nick Grigg, Sam Johnson, Byron McGuigan; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Allan Dell, Stuart McInally©, WP Nel, Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist, Sam Skinner, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury. Substitutes: Fraser Brown, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Jonny Gray, Josh Strauss, Greig Laidlaw, Adam Hastings, Chris Harris.
England: Elliot Daly; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May; Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Ben Moon, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Joe Launchbury, George Kruis, Mark Wilson, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola. Substitutes: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Dan Cole, Brad Shields, Nathan Hughes, Ben Spencer, George Ford, Ben Te’o.
More to follow …
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