2019 Summer Test Series: England vs Ireland

Jones Bringing In The Big Guns For Ireland Clash

Jones Bringing In The Big Guns For Ireland Clash

Eddie Jones will run out a powerful lineup on Saturday against Ireland, who look to claim world #1 with a win.

Aug 22, 2019 by Alex Rees
Jones Bringing In The Big Guns For Ireland Clash

Only two games stand between England and their first World Cup 2019 encounter. 

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This weekend the men in white play hosts to Ireland, who themselves have a chance to climb into the #1 world ranking with a victory. 

If England boss Eddie Jones has been reserved with his team selections so far this summer, Saturday's clash marks a changing of the tide. 

Eddie is suiting up all of his big guns, previewing what could well be the England side we see through the World Cup tournament. 

Jones has elected a powerful tight five, selecting five British Lions to run out vs Ireland. In his back row, Sam Underhill and Tom Curry both return from injury scares to man the flanks, and the ever-reliable Billy Vunipola holds it down once again at the back of the scrum. 


Ben Youngs, England's most-capped halfback of all time, gets his first start of the summer, and he'll pair up with George Ford playing flyhalf. 

Jones has chosen to play Owen Farrell in the center. This is an interesting decision, as it's a throwback to the setup England used when Eddie Jones first took over in 2016. The team reeled off 16 consecutive victories then, so perhaps it's a wise move. 


Manu Tuilagi will link up outside of Farrell, and Jonny May also gets his first run-out of the summer, joining big Joe Cokanasiga and Elliot Daly in the back three.


English fans will be happy to see that Mako Vunipola is making his comeback from injury to come off the bench in this one. The 56-cap loosehead prop is a key ingredient to England's success, and with a healthy set of Vunipolas, England look extremely dangerous moving forward.