Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are set to join Jonny Wilkinson as England’s third-most capped men’s international players on Thursday, with Eddie Jones poised to shuffle his side for their second match of the World Cup when they face the USA.
Jones is also due to make a late call on the fitness of Henry Slade before naming his side on Tuesday after the utility back took a bang to the knee shortly after coming on against Tonga while Lewis Ludlam is in line for a first World Cup start in the back row.
Youngs, who started against Tonga, and Cole, who came off the bench, are also set to feature in the 23-man squad and win their 91st England caps. Only Jason Leonard (114) and Dylan Hartley (97) have represented the England men’s side on more occasions.
England flew south to Kobe on Monday 24 hours after opening their World Cup campaign with a scratchy bonus-point win over Tonga. They will have one proper training session on Wednesday before facing the USA.
The two injury absentees are Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell, who are not due to be ready until the third pool match against Argentina on Saturday week, though England were awaiting further medical reports on Slade’s knee before Jones finalises his team on Tuesday. It was the same knee Slade injured in the buildup to England’s first World Cup warm-up match against Wales last month, though he was able to finish the match against Tonga. Joe Cokanasiga has also been hampered with a knee injury and his leg has been heavily strapped.
After Sunday’s victory Jones was unsure how many of the 23 who featured would also be involved against the USA. Youngs may start on the bench with Willi Heinz in the No 9 jersey while Cole is more likely to start in place of Kyle Sinckler. At least nine of the starting XV against Tonga are set to be involved despite the four-day turnaround.
“I’m in this World Cup bubble at the moment and, whilst those accolades are nice, I had no idea,” said Youngs, who will equal Wilkinson as England’s most capped back.
“I remember making my first start for England and Jonny was involved and playing in Australia. He’s an icon of the game and to get this accolade is pretty cool.
“When you first start out it goes fast and you’re in it and not really sure what’s going on. And then you get older and understand what gets you there, how you do it and how you sustain it. Getting there is almost the easy bit, the hard bit is sustaining it and staying there and being consistent in it.”
England will be hoping for a far more polished performance after a litany of handling errors against Tonga meant the bonus point was not secured until the 77th minute.
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Team guides
Pool A: Ireland, Japan, Russia, Samoa, Scotland
Pool B: Canada, Italy, Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa
Pool C: Argentina, England, France, Tonga, USA
Pool D: Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Uruguay, Wales
Last autumn, in an effort to prepare for this four-day turnaround Jones purposefully curtailed his side’s preparations before their victory over Japan, against whom he made 11 changes from the previous weekend. Ruaridh McConnochie, Mark Wilson, Joe Launchbury, Piers Francis and Jack Singleton were all hoping to be brought into the 23 for Thursday, having missed out in Sapporo, while Ludlam is set to cap a remarkable rise with a start at flanker. “If you had told me this time last year that I would be starting in a World Cup game, I would’ve told you you’re crazy,” he said. “Our focus last week was purely Tonga and as soon as that whistle went after the game, it switches to USA. It wasn’t a case or preparing for two games.”
The USA have named eight England-based players in their 23-man squad, including the Saracens prop Titi Lamositele, Harlequins’ former American footballer Paul Lasike and the Bedford full-back Will Hooley, whom Ludlam played alongside at junior level.
“We were both at Ipswich Rugby Club and then he was at school 10 minutes down the road from me,” Ludlam said. “It is weird he is playing for a different country but he is a really good bloke, he is down to earth, he is a good leader and I am sure he is keeping those USA boys in place.”
On Sunday Jones claimed that the USA would be “all guns blazing, it’s going to be like 15 Donald Trumps”, but their coach, Gary Gold, opted against returning fire. “At this stage, with all due respect, we’re not a good enough rugby team to be making comments or answers to questions like that. I don’t know what it means.”