Chiefs stars to face Italy

By Mark Stevens
2/2/18

Four Exeter Chiefs players will be part of Eddie Jones' England match-day squad for their opening Natwest Six Nations clash of the season against Italy on Sunday (3pm KO GMT).

Sam Simmonds will start his first-ever Six Nations clash at No.8, while club-mates Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams and Jack Nowell have all been included on the bench for the game at the Stadio Olympico.

Northampton's Dylan Hartley captains an experienced side with 689 caps across the starting 15 in what will be his 90th Test for England.

Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors) will partner Owen Farrell (Saracens) in the centres after nearly a year’s absence from the England side.

Simmonds will win his fourth cap in the back-row alongside the experienced Courtney Lawes (Northampton) and Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), while Hepburn could make his England debut having been named as a finisher.

Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers) will start his 56th Test match overtaking Matt Dawson’s record of most starts for an England halfback. Danny Care (Harlequins) will equal Dawson for most caps as scrum half (77) if the finisher plays a role in the match.

Head coach Jones said: “I have selected the strongest available side to play Italy this weekend and the players are excited to play in Rome. Our preparation over the last two weeks has been excellent and the players feel refreshed. We want to start the tournament well and are ready to go hunting against Italy. We know we need to get our set piece right, be defensively strong and play with aggression and plenty of energy.”

England team to face Italy

15 Mike Brown (Harlequins 64 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 28 caps)
13 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 8 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 53 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 29 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 40 caps)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers 73 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 44 caps)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints 89 caps, capt)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 77 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 47 caps)
5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 14 caps)
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 61 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 59 caps)
8 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 3 caps)

16 Jamie George (Saracens 20 caps)
17 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs uncapped)
18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs 5 caps)
19 George Kruis (Saracens 21 caps)
20 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 3 caps)
21 Danny Care (Harlequins 76 caps)
22 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 35 caps)
23 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs 23 caps)