Saints skipper Wood shrugs off shoulder injury to take place on England bench

Tom Wood is on the bench for England on Saturday

Wood put in a bruising display in last Saturday’s win against France and was forced to put his right arm in a sling after the game.

But he has been deemed fit enough to play a part in this weekend’s Cardiff clash.

England boss Eddie Jones said: “Tom Wood will play his part later in the game off the bench as a finisher.”

Wood’s Saints team-mates Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes are starters though as they retain their places in the first 15.

George North will start for Wales this weekend after recovering from the dead leg he suffered in the win against Italy last Sunday.

North scored a fine try in that game in Rome.

Wales: Halfpenny; North, J Davies, S Williams, L Williams; Biggar, Webb; Evans, Owens, Francis; Ball, Wyn-Jones (c); Warburton, Tipuric, Faletau. Replacements: Baldwin, Smith, Lee, Hill, Faletau, G Davies, S Davies, Roberts.

England: Brown; Nowell, Joseph, Farrell, Daly; Ford, B Youngs; Marler, Hartley (c), Cole; Lawes, Launchbury; Itoje, Clifford, Hughes. Replacements: George, Mullan, Sinckler, Wood, Haskell, Care, Te’o, May.