Devoto on bench for Scotland clash

By Mark Stevens
6/2/20

Exeter Chiefs back Ollie Devoto has again been named in Eddie Jones' side 23-man squad to play Scotland in the second round of the Guinness Six Nations at BT Murrayfield on Saturday (4.45pm).

The centre won his second international cap when he came off the bench last weekend in Paris. Club-mate Luke Cowan-Dickie also featured in the 24-17 loss, but the all-action hooker will not figure this weekend after he left camp this morning to be with his partner who has gone into labour.

Bath's Tom Dunn will replace Cowan-Dickie as back-up to Jamie George, who lines-up in an England pack which shows three changes. Saracens duo Mako Vunipola and George Kruis will both start, as will Northampton's Lewis Ludlam who teams up with Sam Underhill and Tom Curry in the back-row.

Behind the scrum, Gloucester's Willi Heinz will win his 11th Test cap, replacing Ben Youngs in the number nine jersey, while Manu Tuilagi's injury means Jonathan Joseph comes into the centre alongside skipper Owen Farrell.

Uncapped players Dunn and Ben Earl are included as finishers with Joe Launchbury returning to the match-day 23 after recovering from injury.

Jones said: “Preparation this week has been great. We have sought to address the issues from the France game and have had a really good and sharp preparation for Scotland.

“Scotland are a dangerous side. They like to play with a lot of width and with a lot of flow and tempo in their game. We want to make sure we dominate the gain line.

“Their win record against England at Murrayfield is substantially higher than their overall record against us, so we have to recognise they are a dangerous beast and we have to be at our best to beat them.”

England squad to face Scotland

15 George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 53 caps)
13 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 48 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 80 caps, capt)
11 Elliot Daly (Saracens, 40 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 66 caps)
9 Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 10 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 58 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 46 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 32 caps)
4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 35 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 42 caps)
6 Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)
7 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 16 caps)
8 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 20 caps)

16 Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 15 caps)
18 Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 1 cap)
19 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 62 caps)
20 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 82 caps)
21 Ben Earl (Saracens, uncapped)
22 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 96 caps)
23 Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 2 caps)