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Despite playing 761 of England's last 800 minutes, Billy Vunipola is chosen to start against USA

Billy Vunipola is getting no rest in Japan (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones has defended his ongoing selection of Billy Vunipola despite the England No8’s escalating workload. Vunipola is retained in the back row for Thursday’s World Cup clash with the USA at the Kobe Misaki Stadium just four days after Tonga were dispatched 35-3 in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

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As the only player to start all four of the summer’s warm-up Tests, the Pool C showdown will extend his run of starts to 11 having completed 761 of England’s last 800 minutes.

The powerful 26-year-old is seen as vital to the nation’s hopes of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy on November 2, but his 2018 was ruined by fracturing his arms on three separate occasions.

Vunipola has said he wants to be involved as much as possible after spending the majority of last season in the treatment room and Jones insists regular action is key to ensuring he is at his bulldozing best.

“Billy loves playing rugby, he’s a rugby player. The best way to keep him fit is to play him and he’s an influential player in our team. He wants to play, ” Jones said. When asked if he was taking a risk, Jones said: “It’s a risk Billy going out and eating Kobe beef! It’s much better he plays rugby than goes out and eats beef.”

(Continue reading below…)

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Joe Cokanasiga will provide firepower to England’s backline in the absence of Manu Tuilagi after being picked on the left wing in place of Jonny May, who has been rested. The rampaging Fijian-born 21-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury but has been passed fit for the second match of England’s four-day turnaround.

Cokanasiga’s presence makes up for Tuilagi being omitted from the 23 after the Leicester wrecking ball laid waste to Tonga with a devastating two-try salvo and series of marauding runs. “It’s like a dream come true, I’m really excited,” said the Bath giant, who will be making World Cup debut and winning his ninth cap.

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“I had a few messages but the wi-fi in the hotel is a bit off so I’m still waiting for a few! My parents and close family have been in touch. I remember going to the final in 2015 when the All Blacks played Australia and thinking ‘this is unbelievable – imagine playing in one of these games’. It feels weird to be here and playing on Thursday.”

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 Piers Francis and Jonathan Joseph. Ruaridh McConnochie wins his second cap on the right wing with Elliot Daly continuing at full-back and Willi Heinz getting the nod ahead of Ben Youngs at scrum-half. There are three survivors from the pack that start against Tong in prop Joe Marler, flanker Tom Curry and Vunipola.

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.

“Henry got bit of a knock and so decided not to risk him. We want him right for the next game,” Jones said. The USA Eagles are ranked 13 in the world and are England’s last opponents until they face Argentina and France in the fixtures that will decide who progresses from Pool C into the quarter-finals.

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“The USA have had two weeks to prepare for the game,” Jones said. “We know they have been down in Okinawa preparing with the marines so they will be hardened for battle and looking forward to playing in the great rugby city Kobe.

“We know they’ll be committed and play with a lot of pride. They’re coached very well by Gary Gold. They have a good 10 in AJ MacGinty who the boys know well from Sale. Shaun Davies is a very good kicking nine and their hooker Joe Taufete’e is a good ball carrier, so we know they’ll bring a lot into the game.”

– Press Association 

WATCH: England winger Joe Cokanasiga and coach Steve Borthwick talk to the media ahead of England versus USA

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GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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