England
Burgess handed England Saxons start
ESPN Staff
January 29, 2015
Sam Burgess will start at inside centre for England Saxons against Irish Wolfhounds © Getty Images
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Bath rugby league convert Sam Burgess will start at inside centre for England Saxons in their game against Irish Wolfhounds in Cork on Friday night.

Lee Dickson captains the side at scrum-half and is joined at half-back buy exciting Exeter Chiefs youngster Henry Slade. Burgess's centre partner is Wasps' Elliot Daly. The back three is made up of Worcester Warriors' Chris Pennell between fully-capped wingers Chris Ashton and Marland Yarde.

Up front, the tight five is entirely made up of Bath and Wasps players with Matt Mullan, Rob Webber and Henry Thomas in the front row and James Gaskell and Matt Garvey at lock. In the back row Exeter's Dave Ewers and Thomas Waldrom are joined by Gloucester's Matt Kvesic.

Jon Callard, the Saxons Head Coach, said: "The game tomorrow night against the Wolfhounds will be a difficult and tough match for us but the group is excited about it and the opportunity to put on an England shirt.

"The team is one of the strongest Saxons sides selected and every player knows the importance of this match with potential of claiming a spot in the senior squad for the RBS 6 Nations campaign and the World Cup later in year."

Irish Wolfhounds have named an extremely strong team containing four British & Irish Lions.

England Saxons:

C Pennell (Worcester), C Ashton (Saracens), E Daly (Wasps), S Burgess (Bath), H Slade (Exeter), L Dickson (Northampton, capt), M Mullan (Wasps), R Webber (Bath), H Thomas (Bath), M Garvey (Bath), J Gaskell (Wasps), D Ewers (Exeter), M Kvesic (Gloucester), T Waldrom (Exeter).

Replacements: L Cowan Dickie (Exeter), A Waller (Northampton), J Cooper-Woolley (Wasps), M Itoje (Saracens), C Fearns (Bath), J Simpson (Wasps), O Devoto (Bath), C Wade (Wasps).

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