England make three changes for Australia World Cup clash
Friday 2 October 2015 12:18, UK
Jonathan Joseph, Joe Launchbury and Ben Morgan have been recalled to the England starting line-up for Saturday night's crunch Rugby World Cup showdown with Australia at Twickenham.
Bath star Joseph - who missed last Saturday's dramatic 28-25 defeat to Wales - has recovered from his chest injury and starts at outside centre, with Brad Barritt moving back to inside centre.
That means no place for Sam Burgess, a controversial choice at No 12 last week. The rugby league convert starts on the bench.
Owen Farrell keeps his place at fly-half, and half-back partner Ben Youngs has been passed fit to start at scrum-half after shaking off a foot injury.
Wasps lock Launchbury comes in for the injured Courtney Lawes (knee), and Gloucester No 8 Morgan - who scored two tries against the Wallabies in England's victory at Twickenham last November - replaces Billy Vunipola, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.
Harlequins veteran Nick Easter, called into the squad in place of Vunipola, is named on the bench along with Saracens lock George Kruis, who makes the 23 for the first time in the tournament.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster said: "JJ [Jonathan Joseph] and Ben Youngs are both fit and raring to go, as are the rest of the squad for what will be a huge game against a very good team.
"England-Australia matches at Twickenham are always massive occasions, this one more than ever, and we want everyone behind us so we can get the result we all want."
England realistically must win the game to have any chance of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Jonny May, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Tom Wood, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 8 Ben Morgan.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 George Kruis, 20 Nick Easter, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 George Ford, 23 Sam Burgess.
