Showdown.

Head coach Eddie Jones has named his England team for this weekend’s Guinness Six Nations opener with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Owen Farrell will captain England at fly half with Manu Tuilagi named outside him at 12. Tuilagi will start his first match for England since the third Test against New Zealand in June 2014.

Brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola will play for England for the first time this season having last featured in the Test series against South Africa in June 2018.

Tom Curry and Mark Wilson will make their Guinness Six Nations debuts having been named at openside and blindside flanker respectively. Elliot Daly, Jonny May and Jack Nowell are named in the back three.

England starting XV

15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 25 caps), 14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps), 12 Manu Tuiagi (Leicester Tigers, 27 caps), 11 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 29 caps), 10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 65 caps), 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 80 caps); 1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 51 caps), 2 Jamie George (Saracens, 32 caps), 3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 17 caps), 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 26 caps), 5 George Kruis (Saracens, 27 caps), 6 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 8 caps), 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 5 caps), 8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 36 caps).

Replacements:
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 7 caps), 17 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 5 caps), 18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 15 caps), 19 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 68 caps), 20 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 18 caps), 21 Dan Robson (Wasps, uncapped), 22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 51 caps), 23 Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks, 42 caps)