Tuilagi busts into England team

Published: Thursday, 4. August, 2011 in category Southern Hemisphere

Leicester Tigers star Manusamoa Tuilagi will earn his first cap for England in the World Cup warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

The physical 20-year-old will play at outside centre as England continue their World Cup build-up in the first leg of a home and away double header against the Welsh.

"I'm really proud to be winning my first cap," said the Premiership Young Player of the Year, who impressed for England Saxons last season.

"There is a lot of competition for places and I just want to take this chance and do the best I can for the team. The boys have worked hard during the camp but now we have to perform against Wales," he added.

Tuilagi will partner London Wasps' Riki Flutey in the midfield, while flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson will win his 86th cap and Delon Armitage also gets a start at fullback.

Lewis Moody captains the side in a pack that also sees Matt Stevens start an international for the first time since November 2008, while there are bench call-ups for the uncapped Saracens lock Mouritz Botha and Gloucester wing Charlie Sharples.

England: 15 Delon Armitage, 14 Matt Banahan, 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Danny Care, 8 James Haskell, 7 Lewis Moody (captain), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Alex Corbisiero.
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Dave Wilson, 18 Mouritz Botha, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Richard Wigglesworth, 21 Charlie Hodgson, 22 Charlie Sharples.

Date: Saturday, August 6
Venue: Twickenham, London
Kick-off: 14.30 (14.30 GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Dave Changleng (Scotland)
TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)