England coach Eddie Jones makes wholesale changes for Rugby World Cup second outing

England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)
England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)
England coach Eddie Jones has made ten changes for their World Cup clash against the USA including bringing in explosive winger Joe Cokanasiga.

The giant Fijian-born wideman replaces Jonny May on England's left flank for Thursday's encounter at Kobe Misaki Stadium and is one of three Bath players in their three-quarter line.

The others are fellow winger Ruaridh McConnochie, who earns his second cap, and centre Jonathan Joseph.

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England started their Pool C campaign with a 35-3 victory over Tonga in Sapporo on Sunday and Jones was always likely to make sweeping changes due to the short turnaround.

England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)
England's Joe Cokanasiga (PA)

"The four-day turnaround is something we experimented with against Japan last autumn and so the players have had some experience of it," he said.

"You have to make sure the two days before the game are exactly the same as you would normally have for any other game.

"What I see now is players handling it really well but the game on Thursday will be the litmus test."

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Cokanasiga, 21, has been struggling with a knee injury but has been passed fit for the second match of England's tournament.

His presence makes up for Manu Tuilagi's absence after the Leicester wrecking ball is rested in the wake of laying waste to Tonga with a devastating two-try salvo.

Captain Owen Farrell drops to the bench so George Ford, who leads the team, continues at fly-half inside a new-look centre combination of former Doncaster Knight Piers Francis and Joseph.

Elliot Daly switches from wing to full-back and Willi Heinz gets the nod ahead of Ben Youngs at scrum-half.

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There are three survivors from the pack that started against Tonga in prop Joe Marler, flanker Tom Curry and number eight Billy Vunipola.

Vunipola started throughout the warm-up series and continues his run of games after a frustrating spell of injury that saw him suffer three broken arms in a year.

Henry Slade is absent despite making his comeback against Tonga after three months out with a knee injury incurred during last season's Gallagher Premiership final.

Slade came on at full-back at the Sapporo Dome and hurt the same knee that resulted in his summer on the sidelines but was able to finish the match after receiving treatment.

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Openside flanker Sam Underhill drops out of the squad completely and there is a return for back row Mark Wilson on the bench following his struggle with a knee injury.

England: E Daly (Saracens); R McConnochie (Bath Rugby), J Joseph (Bath Rugby), P Francis (Northampton Saints), J Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby); G Ford (Leicester Tigers, capt), W Heinz (Gloucester Rugby); J Marler (Harlequins), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), J Launchbury (Wasps), G Kruis (Saracens), T Curry (Sale Sharks), L Ludlam (Northampton Saints), B Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: J Singleton (Saracens), E Genge (Leicester Tigers), K Sinckler (Harlequins), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), M Wilson (Newcastle Falcons/Sale Sharks), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers), O Farrell (Saracens), A Watson (Bath Rugby).

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