Share

Farrell back for England

Bagshot - Owen Farrell will steer England's bid for their first grand slam since 2003 after being recalled at flyhalf for Saturday's Six Nations title decider against Wales in Cardiff.

Farrell, 21, missed last week's 18-11 victory over Italy with a thigh strain and comes in for Toby Flood, who kicked all England's points in that game. Ben Youngs also returns at scrumhalf for Danny Care.

Tom Croft, who appeared as a replacement against Italy 11 months after breaking his neck, starts at blindside flanker instead of James Haskell, while Joe Marler is back at prop for Mako Vunipola.

Victory for England would give them their first grand slam since their Rugby World Cup-winning year but they could still win their second championship in three years if they are beaten by fewer than eight points.

Defending champions Wales, who will name their team later on Thursday, would also take the title with a seven-point win as long as England do not score three more tries than them in Saturday's match (19:00).

Teams:

Wales:

TBA

England: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Mike Brown, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Tom Wood, 7 Chris Robshaw (captain), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Joe Marler.

Substitutes: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Dave Wilson, 18 Mako Vunipola, 19 Courtney Lawes, 20 James Haskell, 21 Danny Care, 22 Toby Flood, 23 Billy Twelvetrees.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE