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England’s controversial loose forward Henry Pollock will start off the bench in the Nations Championship opener against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Coach Steve Borthwick has gone with a team that is largely light on experience compared with the South Africans with a starting backline boasting just 104 caps between them.
The pack weighs in with 406 caps, thanks to hooker and captain Jamie George (110), loosehead prop Ellis Genge (80), who is one of two vice-captains, flanker Tom Curry (68) and eighthman Ben Earl (51).
Luke Cowan-Dickie (58) and Marcus Smith (50) are the most experienced of the eight replacements.
Pollock, with 10 caps, has been mentioned frequently in South African press conferences over the past week or so, with coach Rassie Erasmus rating him highly as a player.
The Boks’ starting backline have a combined 368 caps, while their forwards have 566, bolstered by record-breaking lock Eben Etzebeth on 141 and skipper Siya Kolisi on 95.
England team: George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley, Fin Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge (vice-captain), Jamie George (captain), Joe Heyes, Alex Coles, George Martin, Ollie Chessum (vice-captain), Tom Curry, Ben Earl
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Beno Obano, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Charlie Ewels, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith
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