Pair earn England debuts

Exeter Chiefs flanker Tom Johnson and Harlequins prop Joe Marler will earn their first England caps against South Africa on Saturday.

England are preparing in Durban for their first of three Tests against the Springboks, as they hope to build on a decent Six Nations earlier this season. Johnson and Marler have impressed in the Aviva Premiership this term and head coach Stuart Lancaster believes they have done enough to warrant their first Test starts. Lancaster has also had to switch things around in the back three, with Northampton's Ben Foden moving to the wing to replace the injured David Strettle, with Mike Brown coming in at full-back. The England boss is looking forward to seeing Johnson and Marler make their debuts and believes there will be no problem with the alterations in the backline. He said: "Tom and Joe have had great seasons at their clubs and have worked really hard to get this chance, both are in great form and have really impressed in training. "Equally, Mike Brown has been outstanding for Harlequins. By moving Ben to the wing we retain his strike power and aerial skills and can utilise not only Mike's attacking and defensive assets, but we can also call on his left-footed kicking game."