Six Nations 2018: Ben Te'o starts for England against Italy
Last updated on .From the section English Rugby

Italy v England |
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Dates: Sunday 4 February Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT |
Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and online, live text commentary |
Centre Ben Te'o has been preferred to Jonathan Joseph for England's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on Sunday.
Te'o has been out since mid-October with an ankle injury and last played for England almost a year ago.
Sam Simmonds starts at number eight, alongside Courtney Lawes and Chris Robshaw in the back row.
"We are ready to go hunting against Italy," said England head coach Eddie Jones.
Te'o had been expected to miss the start of the Championship because of his ankle problem, but has made a surprise return to fitness following rehabilitation in Australia.
The 31-year-old hired trainers and physios from Brisbane Broncos - where he played for four season from 2009 - out of his own pocket.
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- BBC coverage guide for TV, radio and BBC Sport website
Te'o will partner Owen Farrell in the midfield, with Ben Youngs and George Ford at half-back and Jonny May, Anthony Watson and Mike Brown in the back three.
Joseph, who started four of England's five matches in their 2017 Six Nations campaign, is among the replacements.
Brown has recovered from an eye complaint, while Jack Nowell is on the bench after recovering from his own ankle injury.

Nowell's Exeter team-mate Alec Hepburn is set to make his England debut from the bench.
"Our preparation over the last two weeks has been excellent and the players feel refreshed," Jones added.
"We know we need to get our set piece right, be defensively strong and play with aggression and plenty of energy."
England have won all 23 of their meetings with Italy, with their last four victories secured by a margin of more than 20 points.
Italy coach Conor O'Shea has named a side featuring several inexperienced players.
Flankers Renato Giammarioli and Sebastian Negri have three caps between them, while midfield partnership Tommaso Castello and Tommaso Boni have a total of just 13.
England team to face Italy:
Brown; Watson, Te'o, Farrell, May; Ford, Youngs; Vunipola, Hartley, Cole, Launchbury, Itoje, Lawes, Robshaw, Simmonds
Replacements: George, Hepburn, Williams, Kruis, Underhill, Care, Joseph, Nowell
Analysis
Former England fly-half Paul Grayson:
Ben Te'o's return from an ankle injury straight into the starting 15 signals coach Eddie Jones' determination to get the heavy-carrying centre into the heart of his team.
Te'o exiled himself to Australia to finance his own recovery and his immediate inclusion, after just a handful of Worcester appearances this season, marks him out as a virtually centrally-contracted player.
However Te'o was so good for the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand that Jones is convinced the well-travelled centre is the answer to a lack of physicality across England's skilful back division.
As the door opens wide for Te'o, you have to feel another door closes ever so slightly for the unfortunate Manu Tuilagi, whose last international start was way back in June 2014.
Comments
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Can’t remember anyone questioning his heritage then ??
Please don't do this. This scars every discussion, turning it into a dialogue of the deaf!
Ben T'eo is not qualified through residency. He is qualified by having a 100% English mum. He's a lot more qualified than O'Van de Flier or McVisser for instance using your criteria.
Please don't spoil yet another thread. Repeating something that's false doesn't make it true!
@1 Te'o took his dad's surname not his Mum's
Of the other 3, 2 have English mothers so it's only Mako who comes in on residency.
Bring in Marler, George and Joseph for Mako, Hartley and Teo and the side would be 100% born in England. And, some might say, stronger too...
In the BBC and Eddie Jones we trust.
@197. I doubt you are ahead with the stomping you received from NZ in the last U20's.
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Your ignorance is astonishing. the reason eng were not as competitive as they should have been in the U20s final is because 5 of their best players were on the full eng tour to argentina. Would have creamed NZ with a full quota.
Anyone know where you can see the Italian line up
on
25 minutes ago
England remind me of the old snooker player Eddie Charlton, he use to bore the opposition and the paying public to death as well
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Oh well lets hope they never get too exciting then considering they were the top try scoring team in the 2017 6N
Well how about lying about the number of residency qualified players in England. Lying about the RFU actively recruiting in the SH etc.
The facts remain the facts. England has the lowest number of overseas players and you can't gainsay that no matter how belligerent you get. You can spoil 100 HYS's but it will still be c**p!
Your intellect terrifies me...;-)
Enough already!
The 6N should be great. 4 very good teams. France are a mystery.
From the southern continent only NZ that could win the 6N. Very strong tournament. Only the WC is stronger.
People who slate Farrell, talk to his peers, rated by them all
Not to mention our Maltese supporter of Italy. Good to hear from you.
Haha ok u still ain't getting wat I am saying are u see u only hoping bk to 2016 because u no for 12 year before that u didn't win anything and yes like I said before u u wasn't able to handle pressure till Eddie jones took charge another exsample 2015 World Cup England had pressure to react far and u couldn't
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wow, ive met invertebrates with abetter command of english