ENGLAND HAVE MADE just the one change for their final 6 Nations game at Twickenham next Saturday while opponents France have made two alterations.
Leicester Tigers lock Geoff Parling comes into the team in place of Dave Attwood, who drops out of the entire squad.
It’s the only change that coach Stuart Lancaster has made from the team that saw off Scotland 25-13 last weekend. Harlequins Nick Easter is recalled to the bench.
“Geoff did well off the bench against Scotland and now that he has got some games under his belt, we feel it is the right time to start him and use his experience and quality in the starting line-up,” remarked Lancaster.
The French match will be a landmark occasion for prop Dan Cole as he gets set to win his 50th cap for England.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre brings in Jules Plisson at out-half and Vincent Debaty at loosehead prop. Injuries have ruled out Camille Lopez and Eddy Ben Arous, thus forcing the French coach’s hand.
England team:
15. Mike Brown (Harlequins)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
12. Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints)
11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins)
2. Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
6. James Haskell (Wasps)
7. Chris Robshaw (captain, Harlequins)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens,)
Replacements:
16. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
18. Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons)
19. Nick Easter (Harlequins)
20. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
21. Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
22. Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
23. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
France team:
15. Scott Spedding (Bayonne)
14. Yoann Huget (Toulouse)
13. Gael Fickou (Toulouse)
12. Maxime Mermoz (Toulon)
11. Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont Auvergne)
10. Jules Plisson (Stade Francais)
9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon)
1. Vincent Debaty (Clermont Auvergne)
2. Guilhem Guirado (Toulon)
3. Nicolas Mas (Montpellier)
4. Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Francais)
5. Yoann Maestri (Toulouse)
6. Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse)
7. Bernard Le Roux (Racing Metro)
8. Loann Goujon (La Rochelle)
Replacements:
16. Benjamin Kayser (Clermont Auvergne)
17. Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais)
18. Uini Atonio (La Rochelle)
19. Romain Taofifenua (Toulon)
20. Damien Chouly (Clermont Auvergne)
21. Rory Kockott (Castres)
22. Remi Tales (Castres)
23. Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon)
