Easter to captain England against Samoa
Leeds open side flanker Hendre Fourie has been handed his first Test start in place of captain Lewis Moody, who has been given a week’s rest. Matt Banahan, who won his previous five caps on the wing, has been preferred to Delon Armitage as Mike Tindall’s outside centre replacement.
Blindside flanker James Haskell and tight-head prop David Wilson will both start for England’s first meeting with Samoa since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Rory Lawson will captain Scotland for the first time in Saturday’s Test against South Africa after Mike Blair was ruled out with concussion.
ENGLAND (v Samoa): B Foden (Northampton); C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), S Hape (Bath), M Cueto (Sale); T Flood (Leicester), B Youngs (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), T Palmer (Stade Francais), J Haskell (Stade Francais), H Fourie (Leeds), N Easter (Harlequins, capt).
Replacements: S Thompson (Leeds), D Cole (Leicester), D Attwood (Gloucester), T Croft (Leicester), D Care (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale), D Armitage (London Irish).
SCOTLAND (v South Africa): H Southwell (Stade Francais); N Walker (Ospreys), M Evans (Glasgow Warriors), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Cardiff Blues), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), S MacLeod (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors) N Hines (Leinster), K Brown (Saracens), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: D Hall (Glasgow Warriors), M Low (Glasgow Warriors), R Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), R Rennie (Edinburgh), G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), C Paterson (Edinburgh).
FIJI (v Wales): J Matavesi; M Tagicakibau, A Vulivuli, G Lovobalavu, V Goneva; S Bai, N Kenatale; C Ma’afu, V Veikoso, D Manu (capt), I Rawaqa, J Qovu, S Saukawa, M Ravulo, S Koyamaibole.
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