England team to face South Africa: Eddie Jones makes changes for second Test

England team to face South Africa: Eddie Jones makes changes for second Test

England head coach Eddie Jones has named his team to play South Africa in the second Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday 16 June (kick off 16:05 BST, live on Sky Sports Action & Main Event).

There are two changes to the starting XV that played on Saturday with Brad Shields (Hurricanes/Wasps) making his first England start at blindside flanker and Joe Launchbury (Wasps) coming in for Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), having recovered from his calf injury.

Danny Cipriani (Wasps) is named as a finisher replacing Piers Francis (Northampton Saints) on the bench. Cipriani’s last cap for England came against France ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2015.



We have come here to win the series against South Africa and the squad is ready to go out and beat them this weekend,” said Jones. “We have had a very good preparation this week and the intensity and executions in those sessions are going to put us in a good position for Saturday.”

England lost the first match of the three-Test series against South Africa in Johannesburg 42-39 on Saturday. Their final match is in Cape Town (23 June). All matches kick off at 1705 local time (1605 BST).

Owen Farrell will captain the side at 12, again joining Henry Slade in midfield, with Ben Youngs and George Ford England’s halfback pairing.

Launchbury partners Maro Itoje in the second row, while flankers Tom Curry and Shields join Billy Vunipola in the back row.

Elliot Daly is named at full back again with Mike Brown and Jonny May on the wings.

England team to face South Africa

Starters

15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 19 caps), 14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps), 12 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 59 caps), 11 Mike Brown (Harlequins, 70 caps), 10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 46 caps), 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 75 caps); 1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 50 caps), 2 Jamie George (Saracens, 26 caps), 3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 11 caps), 4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 52 caps), 5 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 20 caps), 6 Brad Shields (Hurricanes/ Wasps, 1 cap), 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 2 cap), 8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 35 caps)

Finishers

16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps), 17 Joe Marler (Harlequins, 57 caps), 18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps), 19 Mark Wilson (Newcastle 2 caps), 20 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 15 caps), 21 Ben Spencer (Saracens, 1 cap), 22 Danny Cipriani (Wasps, 14 caps), 23 Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks, 3 caps)