Joe Cokanasiga handed England debut as Eddie Jones makes 11 changes for Japan Test

Eddie Jones has rung the changes for England’s third autumn international, with George Ford captaining the team and Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga — who celebrates his 21st birthday today — handed a debut on the right wing.

In all, Jones has made 11 changes to the starting XV, including leaving regular co-captains Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell on the bench. Maro Itoje is retained and vice-captain for Ford, who is also winning his 50th cap.

Jones was not expected to make quite so many changes for the fixture against England’s lowest-ranked opponents of the series. In the wake of the one-point defeat to New Zealand on Saturday, he said he wanted to “smash” Japan, who he coached from 2012-15, and repeatedly said he would pick his strongest XV for a game which is set to sell out.

Pragmatism has won out, though, and Jones has taken one of his final opportunities to experiment before next year’s World Cup. After this, just 10 matches remain to fine-tune combinations.

“This weekend is a good opportunity for us to test the depth of the squad,” said Jones. “A number of players have changed their roles, going from finishers to starters and starters to finishers, so that is the essential change to the squad. It is exciting to be able to give starting opportunities to Zach Mercer and Joe Cokanasiga and young Ted Hill on the bench.”

Eye-catching selections abound, including Jack Nowell at outside centre, 21-year-old Mercer’s first start at No8, and the inclusion of teenage Worcester forward Hill, who was originally named in the squad as an apprentice.

The back division is more a site of experimentation, with only Elliot Daly and Chris Ashton, who swaps wings, retained from the All Blacks match.

Manu Tuilagi is still not fit, while Ben Youngs, Jonny May and Ben Te’o are rested. Alex Lozowski is back from suspension and comes in at inside centre, with Nowell outside him. Danny Care partners Ford at half-back, with Richard Wigglesworth his understudy.

Fiji-born flyer Cokanasiga receives his first cap after a superb start to life with Bath and sets up an electric wing combination with Ashton, who scored inside two minutes of his first start in four years against the All Blacks.

There are six changes in the pack, too, with only Itoje and Mark Wilson retained. Wilson swaps No8 for openside flanker to accommodate Mercer, while Courtney Lawes starts at blindside, with Sam Underhill dropping to the bench and Brad Shields missing out all together.

George Kruis’s injury provides Charlie Ewels with a rare opportunity at lock alongside Itoje, while the front row that started against New Zealand last week swaps to the bench. That means Jamie George starts ahead of Hartley and Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams win over Ben Moon and Harry Williams.