Ben Te’o in shock start as Eddie Jones names his England rugby team to face Italy in Six Nations opener

Ben Te’o has been drafted into the England team to face Italy in Rome on Sunday despite not having played any rugby since October.

His selection at outside centre, at the expense of Bath’s Jonathan Joseph, is a major gamble by England head coach Eddie Jones and highlights the need to bring ball-carrying power into a team missing the injured Billy Vunipola and Nathan Hughes.

The England No8 role has been handed to Exeter’s Sam Simmonds, who is joined by Courtney Lawes and Chris Robshaw in the back row to add much-needed experience.

Te’o, who played in two of the Lions Tests in New Zealand last summer, injured his ankle playing for Worcester in their European Challenge Cup match against Brive on October 14.

It was thought he would struggle to be ready for England’s bid to win an historic third successive Six Nations title but the 30-year-old, who has made just one start in his eight England appearances, opted to pay the costs of seeking specialist treatment with Queensland State of Origin physio Rob Godbolt and strength and conditioning expert Andrew Croll.

New Zealand-born Te’o, a former rugby league international, spent six weeks in Australia and said: “I enlisted a highly-experienced physio and trainer, so the full focus was on me.

“Rob Godbolt is the Queensland State of Origin physio and the trainer, Andrew Croll, is highly regarded in the NRL. Sometimes, when you are rehabilitating at a club, there are other [injured] players too and you need to fit in.

“[In Australia] it was all tailored towards me. I didn’t mind paying for it because I know it is going to pay me back one day. The RFU and Worcester were great through the whole process.”

In Rome on Sunday, Te’o will be tasked with getting England over the gainline quickly, while also being expected to put up a fearsome defensive shield alongside his inside partner Owen Farrell against the Italians, who will be seeking their first win over England.

Captain Dylan Hartley starts his 90th Test leading an experienced side boasting 689 caps between them, although Exeter No8 Simmonds has only three to his name, all from the bench.

Ben Youngs has won the battle to start at scrum-half ahead of Danny Care, who has been in great form for Harlequins. It will be the Leicester player’s 56th Test, meaning he overtakes Matt Dawson’s record of most starts for an England half-back. Care will equal Dawson’s record for most caps as scrum-half — 77 — when he is called off the bench.

Jones said: “I have selected the strongest available side to play Italy. Our preparation over the last two weeks has been excellent and the players feel refreshed and excited. We want to start the tournament well and are ready to go hunting against Italy. We know we need to get our set-piece right, be defensively strong and play with aggression and energy.”

Exeter loose-head prop Alec Hepburn will win his first cap if he comes on to replace Mako Vunipola and is joined on the replacements’ bench by Bath flanker Sam Underhill and Exeter wing Jack Nowell.

Here’s the England starting 15 in full….