England hand veterans final hurrah for Rugby World Cup third-place play-off

Centre Manu Tuilagi and scrum-half Ben Youngs will start Friday’s game.

CENTRE MANU Tuilagi and scrum-half Ben Youngs will start Friday’s Rugby World Cup third-place play-off in what could be their final England appearances.

Fellow veterans in prop Dan Cole and half-back Danny Care, both 36, are named on the bench for Friday’s game with Argentina.

Back-rower Courtney Lawes and winger Jonny May who have both announced they are retiring from Test rugby are denied a chance to have a final bow with head coach Steve Borthwick omitting the pair from the matchday squad.

Flanker Tom Curry will make his 50th England appearance despite being at the centre of an investigation into an allegation he was racially abused by South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi during last Saturday’s semi-final.

Curry, 25, retains his position from the agonising 16-15 last-four loss to the defending champions as Borthwick makes eight changes to his team.

Winger Elliot Daly, prop Joe Marler, hooker Jamie George, lock George Martin scrum-half Alex Mitchell join Lawes, May and Cole in missing out on the starting lineup.

Tuilagi, 32, partners Joe Marchant in midfield and 34-year-old Youngs is at half-back alongside captain Owen Farrell.

Farrell was serving a suspension when England opened their campaign with an impressive 27-10 victory over the Pumas, the English playing most of the match with 14 men due to Curry being sent off.

“After the disappointment of last weekend’s game against South Africa, it is important that this Friday we once again play with the determination and dedication that so nearly earned the team the result we wanted,” Borthwick said in a Rugby Football Union statement on Wednesday.

“The Bronze Final gives us a great opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note, continue to build for the future and to give our supporters one last chance to get behind the squad out here in Paris. The players are looking forward to the challenge against what will be a strong Argentina side,” he added.