Head coach Steve Borthwick has named his England team to play Wales ahead of their first World Cup warm-up in Cardiff this weekend.
Loosehead prop Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) will captain England in the 140th meeting between the two nations as both teams play their first game of the Summer Nations Series ahead of Rugby World Cup 2023 in France which starts in September.
Alongside Genge, hooker Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons) joins tighthead prop Will Stuart (Bath Rugby) to complete the front row.
Elsewhere, David Ribbans (Toulon) partners George Martin (Leicester Tigers) in the second row, with the uncapped Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints) packing down on the openside flank, linking up with Saints teammate Lewis Ludlam who starts on the blindside. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins) rounds off the pack at No.8.
Harlequins duo Danny Care and Marcus Smith feature in the half-back berths, with Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers) partnering Joe Marchant (Stade Francais) in midfield. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby) lines up on the left wing, opposite Max Malins (Bristol Bears) on the right, and Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers) is at fullback.
Amongst the replacements, Saracens duo Theo Dan and Tom Willis will win their first England caps should they take the field, while Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears), Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), George Ford (Sale Sharks) and Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs) will all be hoping to make an impact off the bench.
BORTHWICK SAID:
“England versus Wales in Cardiff is always an exciting and keenly contested fixture,” said Borthwick. “I am sure this Saturday will be no different as a tremendous first Test match of the Summer Nations Series.
“We have been impressed with how the whole squad has applied itself both on and off the field over this training camp. We are now looking forward to returning to Test match rugby as we continue our preparations for the Rugby World Cup in France.”
Saturday’s clash against Wales is England’s first of four Summer Nations Series fixtures which will be shown live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Wales team to play England:
Leigh Halfpenny; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Max Llewellyn, Rio Dyer; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Corey Domachowski, Ryan Elias, Keiron Assiratti, Dafydd Jenkins, Will Rowlands, Christ Tshiunza, Jac Morgan (capt), Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Nicky Smith, Henry Thomas, Ben Carter, Taine Plumtree, Tomos Williams, Dan Biggar, Mason Grady.
England team to play Wales:
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)
14. Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 18 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 15 caps)
12. Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps)
11. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 14 caps)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 21 caps)
9. Danny Care (Harlequins, 87 caps)
1. Ellis Genge © (Bristol Bears, 48 caps)
2. Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, 6 caps)
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 25 caps)
4. David Ribbans (Toulon, 5 caps)
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
6. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 19 caps)
7. Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
8. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 14 caps)
Replacements
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, uncapped)
17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps)
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 61 caps)
19. Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
20. Tom Willis (Saracens, uncapped)
21. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 12 caps)
22. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 81 caps)
23. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 56 caps)
England Rugby stars to be joined by their biggest army of WAGS at France World Cup
Below, you will find a list of the players’ partners, along with additional information about each of them:
#1. Beth Dolling (Marcus Smith)
Beth Dolling, whose Instagram handle is @bethdolling, is presently romantically involved with Marcus Smith, the fly-half for Harlequins.
Their relationship began in 2019, but the details of their initial encounter remain undisclosed. Beth is not only a model but also a singer, having participated in various campaigns for renowned brands like PrettyLittleThing, Missy Empire, and Rebellious.
She is affiliated with M Models in Manchester and Body London, showcasing glimpses of her fashion shoots on her Instagram story.
With 34,000 followers on Instagram, Beth keeps her fans engaged with her captivating content.
