Willi Heinz has been named as vice-captain for his England debut against Wales on Sunday with Eddie Jones also handing a first cap to Ruaridh McConnochie.
The New Zealand-born Heinz, 32, gets the nod at scrum-half while McConnochie is named on the right wing by Jones, who has selected George Ford as his fly-half and captain with Owen Farrell left out of the 23-man squad.
Heinz’s selection is not altogether surprising given only he and Ben Youngs were selected in this week’s training squad but his immediate elevation to vice-captain demonstrates the regard in which Jones holds him. Lewis Ludlam, Joe Marchant and Jack Singleton can also expect to win their first caps from the bench.
Heinz, who joined Gloucester from the Crusaders in 2015, was a surprise inclusion in Jones’s World Cup training squad in June, having only been selected once before, for a summer camp two years ago. He has seemingly usurped Saracens’ Ben Spencer, who was omitted from the squad earlier this week, however and earns a final audition for the World Cup squad with Jones due to name his 31-man squad on Monday.
England: Daly; McConnochie, Slade, Francis, Watson; Ford, Heinz; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Cole, Launchbury, Ewels, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola. Replacements: Singleton, Marler, Williams, Kruis, Ludlam, Youngs, Marchant, Cokanasiga.
Wales: L Williams; North, J Davies, Parkes, Adams; Anscombe, G Davies; Smith, Owens, Francis, Beard, Wyn Jones, Wainwright, Tipuric, Moriarty. Replacements: Dee, Jones, Lewis, Ball, Shingler, T Williams, Biggar, Watkin.
McConnochie meanwhile, caps a remarkable rise, having only made the transition from sevens to XVs at the start of the season. He was not even able to complete a full pre-season with Bath but caught Jones’s eye with a series of impressive performances. Elliot Daly gets the nod at full-back.
Elsewhere, Anthony Watson makes his first England appearance since March 2018 on the left wing while Piers Francis is selected at inside centre and Henry Slade at No13. Tom Curry and Sam Underhill – both openside flankers by trade – are paired together with the No8 Billy Vunipola in an intriguing looking back-row with Charlie Ewels gets a rare start in the second row alongside Joe Launchbury.
Jamie George is absent from the squad, meaning a start for Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker with Ellis Genge and Dan Cole named as the starting props with Joe Marler set for a first England appearance since coming out of retirement from the bench. Also among the replacements is George Kruis, who has recovered from an ankle injury, as well as Youngs and Joe Cokanasiga, who is in line for his fifth cap.
Wales meanwhile, have named a the strongest side available with Alun Wyn Jones becoming his country’s most capped player of all time. Indeed, it is the same back-line who started against Ireland in March when Wales clinched the grand slam with Gareth Davies and Gareth Anscombe continuing as the half-backs, Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies teaming up in the centres, Josh Adams and George North on the wings and Liam Williams at full-back.
Up front, Nicky Smith, Ken Owens and Tomas Francis are named in the front-row with Adam Beard partnering Jones in the second row. Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty comprise the back row. “Looking at the first two matches, this block replicates what we are doing in the Rugby World Cup with a six day turnaround so it’s a good opportunity for us to prepare and mimic that schedule.”
