England vs Australia: Dylan Hartley left on bench as Eddie Jones overlooks co-captain for first time
Jones has selected Jamie George as his starting hooker in his strongest squad available for the first time when Hartley has been fully fit
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Dylan Hartley has been left on the bench for England’s final autumn international against Australia this Saturday, with Jamie George selected at hooker and Manu Tuilagi included among the replacements.
Hartley did not start last weekend’s victory over Japan as Eddie Jones rotated his side with 11 changes, but the co-captain was expected to return to the side this weekend to lead England alongside Owen Farrell.
But Jones has elected to stick with George as his starting hooker, meaning that Hartley has been overlooked for the first time by the Australian in a match where he has selected his strongest side available given that George’s past starts have come against Samoa in 2017, France in March this year - when Hartley was ruled out with a calf injury - and Japan last weekend, as well as the summer tour of South Africa where Hartley was absent due to concussion.
Instead, Hartley must bide his time on the bench after being tasked to make a late impact against the Wallabies.
Another player who will likely be introduced in the later stages is Tuilagi, who could make his first appearance since March 2016 after overcoming two groin injuries over the last four weeks that has kept him out of the Quilter Internationals against South Africa, New Zealand and Japan.
The rest of the side is as expected, with props Ben Moon and Kyle Sinckler returning at the expense of Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams who drop to the bench.
Maro Itoje is joined by Courtney Lawes in the second row as the latter switches from blindside flanker to replace Charlie Ewels, with Brad Shields, Sam Underhill and Mark Wilson making up the back-row.
Nathan Hughes, back in the squad following a six-week ban for punching Gloucester’s Lewis Ludlow and tweeting “What a joke” during the initial disciplinary hearing that saw an initial four-week suspension increased.
Ben Youngs returns at scrum-half to partner Farrell, while Ben Te’o and Henry Slade are reunited at centre with Tuilagi lying in wait among the replacements alongside George Ford and Richard Wigglesworth.
The back three is as expected following the news that Jack Nowell has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, as Jonny May returns on the wing to join 21-year-old Joe Cokanasiga after his impressive try-scoring debut last weekend. Elliot Daly remains at full-back despite his suspect form under the high ball this autumn, although he will provide cover for both wings in the event of injury with Slade the back-up for Daly.
With Nowell sent back to Exeter to recover and Chris Ashton already ruled out with a calf injury suffered in the first half of last weekend’s victory, Piers Francis and Elliott Stooke have been retained as cover for the matchday squad.
England squad to face Australia
Elliot Daly; Joe Cokanasiga, Henry Slade, Ben Te’o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Ben Moon, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler; Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes; Brad Shields, Sam Underhill, Mark Wilson.
Replacements: Dylan Hartley, Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Nathan Hughes, Richard Wigglesworth, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi.
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