9 Sep 2011

Armitage to start on wing for England

6:44 am on 9 September 2011

Delon Armitage will start a Test on the wing for the first time after replacing injured Mark Cueto in the England team to play Argentina in their Rugby World Cup opener in Dunedin on Saturday night.

Armitage, who has 22 caps usually at fullback, impressed after replacing Cueto early in England's warm-up win over Ireland last month and has been named at left wing by Martin Johnson in the team after Cueto was ruled out through injury.

Samoan-born Manu Tuilagi, who scored two tries in his two appearances in the August warm-up games, wins his third cap at centre, with Mike Tindall inside him and captaining the side in the absence of injured Lewis Moody.

Jonny Wilkinson gets the nod at first five eighth having also played well in the August warmups, with Toby Flood on the bench.

Nick Easter comes in at number eight, with James Haskell at openside flanker and Tom Croft on the blindside.