Team News: Owen Farrell starts at 10 against Fiji, Marcus Smith at fullback

England captain Owen Farrell has been named at number 10 in place of George Ford for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.

The 32-year-old started at inside centre for last Sunday’s narrow triumph over Samoa, where he dethroned Jonny Wilkinson as England’s all-time leading points scorer.

Ford was given the nod at fly-half for both of England’s opening games with Argentina and Japan during Farrell’s suspension, and he occupied the same role against Samoa.

However, the Sale Sharks man has to make do with a spot among the replacements this time around, and he is one of two players to drop out of the XV which scraped past Samoa in their final Pool D encounter.

Ford has been demoted to the bench in favour of Elliot Daly, who will occupy the left-wing position this weekend, while Leicester Tigers fullback Freddie Steward misses out entirely.

The 22-year-old – a two-time England Men’s Player of the Year Award winner – loses out to Harlequins man Marcus Smith, who registered two tries in the 71-0 mauling of Chile last month.

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With Daly starting at left wing, Jonny May switches sides to the right, as Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant link arms in the central roles behind scrum-half Alex Mitchell.

However, Steve Borthwick has gone with an unaltered forward pack, as Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Dan Cole all retain their places in the front row at the Orange Velodrome in Marseille.

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