#SECOND-ROW:
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Woodward wrote: “This will be the last World Cup for Lawes and possibly Itoje too. I want to see some real fireworks from our best two locks.”
#BACK-ROW:
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
7. Ben Earls (Saracens)
8. Zach Mercer (Gloucester)
Woodward wrote: “Given his ban, Vunipola should not go to the World Cup. He is the only out-and-out No 8 in the squad and England can’t face Argentina with a non-specialist there. Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam could do a job, but when a better No 8 is available you have to play him. I’d take out Vunipola and bring in Zach Mercer.
“Vunipola is not the player of four years ago. Mercer would bring some much-needed pace to the team. Vunipola can rejoin the squad if there are injuries in France, which is almost a given.”