England vs USA team news: Manu Tuilagi rested but Billy Vunipola starts as Eddie Jones makes 10 changes

Joe Cokanasiga and Ruaridh McConnochie are brought into the starting line-up for England’s second match at the Rugby World Cup

Manu Tuilagi has been rested for England’s second match at the Rugby World Cup against the United States with Eddie Jones making 10 changes, though Billy Vunipola retains his place to start his 11th international Test in a row.

Jones has decided to heavily rotate his starting XV in light of the four-day turnaround between their opening two fixtures, with Joe Cokanasiga brought in to replace the power lost in Tuilagi’s absence.

However, there is no place in the entire matchday squad for Henry Slade, who misses out on selection after failing to recover from a knee injury he picked up in Sunday’s victory.

It’s understood that the call to leave Slade out of Thursday’s match was touch and go, with the centre avoiding a repeat of the knee injury that ruled him out of all four World Cup warm-ups even though it was to the same left knee.

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Along with Cokanasiga, Ruaridh McConnochie is brought into the back three for his first World Cup appearance, with Elliot Daly remaining in at full-back.

An all-new centre pairing sees Piers Francis named at 12 along with Jonathan Joseph, who impressed off the bench in Sunday’s win as he set-up the bonus-point clinching try for Luke Cowan-Dickie. George Ford continues at fly-half and inherits the captaincy from Owen Farrell, who on his 28th birthday is named on the bench. Willi Heinz comes in at scrum-half to replace Ben Youngs.

The five other changes all come in the pack, with Cowan-Dickie and Dan Cole joining Joe Marler, who is retained at loosehead prop ahead of Ellis Genge. Joe Launchbury and George Kruis form a new second-row partnership, with Tom Curry and Vunipola continuing in the back row where Lewis Ludlam replaces Sam Underhill.

With Cole starting and Youngs on the bench, the pair could be in line to make their 91st England appearances to draw level with Jonny Wilkinson in third on the all-time caps list for the nation.

Youngs is joined on the bench by Jack Singleton, with the Saracens hooker potentially getting his first run out for his country in his natural position after only seeing two minutes of action in the warm-up games as a makeshift back-row cover. Genge is named alongside Sinckler as prop cover, with Courtney Lawes included among the replacements after being withdrawn early in the victory over Tonga, while Mark Wilson is in line for his first World Cup appearance from the bench.

Youngs and Farrell cover the half-backs and centres, allowing Anthony Watson to be named as an option in the back three.

Cokanasiga starts his first World Cup match on the wing (Getty) (Getty Images)

“The four-day turnaround is something we experimented with against Japan last autumn and so the players have had some experience of it,” Jones said. “You have to make sure the two days before the game are exactly the same as you would normally have for any other game.

“So for us, it’s a short and fast run on Wednesday and today is an active recovery day. What I see now is players handling it really well but the game on Thursday will be the litmus test.

“We have looked at some players that would benefit not playing in this game so have kept them out of the 23. But it is a great opportunity for another set of players to do the team proud."

Addressing the US team training on the island of Okinawa, a US military base in the middle of the pacific, Jones added: “USA are a tough, physical team who are extremely well coached by Gary Gold. There are a number of players who our guys know really well and are a team we respect. They have prepared two weeks with the marines for this game so they will be fit, tough and be playing for the pride of their country.”

Along with Tuilagi, the other names left out in the squad are Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Underhill, Slade, May and injured duo Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell.

England team to face USA

Elliot Daly; Ruaridh McConnochie, Jonathan Joseph, Piers Francis, Joe Cokanasiga; George Ford, Willi Heinz; Joe Marler, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, George Kruis; Tom Curry, Lewis Ludlam, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Jack Singleton, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, Mark Wilson, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Anthony Watson.