Owen Farrell (left) missed the first two games of England’s Rugby World Cup campaign after his red card in a warm-up game against WalesRugby World Cup Pool D: England v SamoaVenue: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille Date: Saturday, 7 October Kick-off: 16:45 BSTCoverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, plus text updates on the BBC Sport website and app
George Ford and Owen Farrell will start together as fly-half and inside centre for the first time since March 2021 when England take on Samoa on Saturday.
Their partnership, a key part of the run to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, has been disrupted by injury and Marcus Smith’s emergence as a Test player.
Manu Tuilagi is outside Farrell at 13, while Ben Earl retains his place at number eight ahead of Billy Vunipola.
Joe Marchant is on the wing, with Jonny May and Freddie Steward also in the XV.
Tom Curry returns from suspension to start at flanker but Henry Arundell, who scored five tries in England’s most recent victory over Chile, is not included in Steve Borthwick’s matchday squad of 23.
Tuilagi will play against Samoa, the country of his birth and the nation represented by his brothers Anitelea, Alesana, Henry and Freddie, for the first time.
England have already confirmed a quarter-final place as Pool D winners after winning their first three group matches.
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England have opted for a five-three split between forwards and backs on the bench, with Danny Care, Marcus Smith and Ollie Lawrence the backs among the replacements.
Vunipola is named among the forward replacements, along with George Martin, Kyle Sinckler, Joe Marler and Theo Dan.
“While we are of course pleased with our results and qualification into the pool stages, we want to continue our improvement with a positive performance against a difficult and in-form Samoa team,” said head coach Borthwick.
“Samoa are renowned for their physicality and this last game in the pool stages will be an excellent test for us as we continue in our Rugby World Cup journey.”
Farrell poised to break England points record
As he prepares for a potential quarter-final against Fiji, Borthwick has made wholesale changes from the experimental line-up that he named to face Chile on 23 September.
Farrell, who could pass Rugby World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson to become England’s all-time leading Test points scorer, is the only survivor from that 71-0 success.
The England captain is one point short of Wilkinson’s tally of 1,179.
Meanwhile, Samoa’s team includes Saracens all-court forward Theo McFarland and Bristol’s Steven Luatua at number eight.
Lima Sopoaga, who like Luatua represented New Zealand before switching to Samoa under new World Rugby regulations, starts at fly-half ahead of former Australia international Christian Lealiifano.
Samoa’s only win so far in the tournament came against Chile. They lost by nine and six points respectively to Argentina and Japan.
Line-ups
England: Steward; Marchant, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes, Curry, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Marler, Sinckler, Martin, Vunipola, Care, Smith, Lawrence.
Samoa: Paia’aua; Ah Wong, Manu, Toala, Fomai; Sopoaga, Taumateine; Jordan Lay, Malolo, Alaalatoa, Slade, Alainu’u’ese, McFarland, Lee, Luatua.
Replacements: Lam, James Lay, Alo-Emile, Fa’aso’o, Motuga, Matavao, Lealiifano, Fai’ilagi.