England may be forced into a late change for Saturday’s Six Nations match in Italy as Harlequins prop Joe Marler waits for the birth of his child.
If Marler, 23, does not arrive in Rome by Friday, boss Stuart Lancaster said Mako Vunipola will start at loosehead prop with Matt Mullan on the bench.
Head coach Lancaster has named an unchanged starting XV, with Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi, 22, on the bench.
He replaced Saracens’ Alex Goode in the squad after recovering from injury.
Who can win the Six Nations?
Ireland
have a points difference of 81 and a win of any kind against France should see them take the title, although England could catch them with a massive win against Italy. However, Ireland have only won in Paris in 42 years.
England
must beat Italy. If France then beat Ireland, the title should be England’s. However, if Ireland win by as little as one point then England must win in Rome by 51 points to overhaul the current 49-point gap.
France
must beat Ireland and hope England lose. But if England beat Italy by one point then the French must win by 31 points to overturn the current 29-point gap to claim the title.
If teams are level on points and points difference, then the title goes to the team who scored the most tries during the Championship.
Second-placed England retain a chance of the title on the final weekend, although Ireland lead the standings on points difference.
Lancaster’s side
at Twickenham on Sunday to keep the pressure on Ireland, who travel to France on Saturday.
“Joe’s partner is in labour as we speak so we are waiting to see how that plays out during the course of the day,” said Lancaster in a news conference on Thursday.
“We will make a decision before the captain’s run on Friday if he will, or won’t, take part in the game.
“The good thing is we have got a British [and Irish] Lion on the bench in Mako who can come in, start and is desperate for an opportunity.”
Before it was revealed Marler could miss the match, Lancaster said: “It’s great to be able to name an unchanged XV and we have been able to achieve consistency of selection.
“Rome is a fantastic opportunity for us to finish the Six Nations on a high point. We want to put in a performance that backs up the previous performances. That is a big motivation for the players.”
British and Irish Lion Tuilagi, 22, can play on the wing as well as at centre and will make his first appearance for England in a year.
He has been capped 21 times and has scored 50 international points but has played only 70 minutes for Leicester since recovering from a
that kept him out for six months.
England must win in Italy but also need France to beat Ireland to have a realistic chance of claiming the Six Nations title, after finishing runners-up for the past two seasons.
If Ireland win in Paris, Lancaster’s men need to win by a massive score in Rome to overhaul Ireland’s superior points difference.
Northampton centre Luther Burrell has impressed in the 13 shirt for England during the Six Nations, scoring three tries in four games since making his debut.
But Tuilagi’s versatility – and the power that the 6ft 1in, 18-stone back supplies – gives Lancaster a welcome option on the bench.
Both wings, Jack Nowell and Jonny May, can play full-back if required, while inside centre Billy Twelvetrees and fly-half Owen Farrell can cover each other’s positions if necessary.
England:
M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), L Burrell (Northampton), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Gloucester).
Replacements:
T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), H Thomas (Sale), D Attwood (Bath), T Johnson (Exeter), L Dickson (Northampton), G Ford (Bath), M Tuilagi (Leicester).
Six Nations 2014: Joe Marler could miss Italy v England in Rome
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