England name Arundell, Ford in starting XV vs Wales
Henry Arundell starts at left wing for England
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England have named Henry Arundell, George Ford and Alex Coles in their starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Wales at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
Maro Itoje has been named among the replacements.
Jamie George will captain the side from hooker, with Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes completing the front row. Coles partners Ollie Chessum in the second row, while the back row features Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill and Ben Earl.
In the backs, Ford starts at fly-half alongside scrum-half Alex Mitchell. Tommy Freeman moves into the centres with Fraser Dingwall, while the back three is made up of Freddie Steward at full-back, Arundell on the wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
England have opted for a 6–2 split between forwards and backs on the bench. Itoje is joined by Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Henry Pollock, Bevan Rodd, Trevor Davison, Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith.
Head coach Steve Borthwick said England are focused on executing their game plan and responding accurately to Wales’ kicking approach as the Championship begins.
"England versus Wales is always a special occasion in the rugby calendar. It's a fierce rivalry with a long history, and one that brings a huge challenge every time we meet," said Borthwick.
"We expect Wales to bring a kicking game, so we'll need to be accurate in how we respond to that challenge. For us, our focus is on executing our game plan and maintaining discipline throughout the match.
"We're excited to get the Championship underway at a packed-out Allianz Stadium. The support we receive at home is outstanding and always gives the players a huge lift."
England XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Ben Earl.
Reserves: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith.
