England vs Fiji: Alex Goode given chance to shine as Eddie Jones makes four changes for Twickenham clash

Breaking hold: Alex Goode looks to offload against Italy in February when he made his only appearance under Eddie Jones as a replacement
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Chris Jones16 November 2016

Alex Goode finally gets his chance to prove to Eddie Jones that he is the best attacking full back in England when he makes a first start under the new head coach against Fiji on Saturday at Twickenham.

Mike Brown, appointed as one of Jones’s vice captains and the embodiment of the hard-nosed approach the coach wants England to exude, gets a break after helping to end ten years of failure against South Africa.

Goode’s last Test was as a replacement for Brown against Italy in February — the only time Jones has given him a cap since taking over the job at the start of a year in which England have registered 10 successive wins.

England are actually on an 11-game unbeaten run as the final match under Stuart Lancaster was a World Cup win over Uruguay — Goode’s last start for his country a year ago.

With Fiji traditionally ignoring the boot to keep the ball in hand to create a more open style of Test rugby, the game will suit Goode’s counter-attacking instincts. He has been excellent for Saracens this season, carrying on his consistently impressive form for the champions who capitalise on Goode’s skills with ball in hand.

It appeared that Goode was going to be given a chance to become a strike runner in Jones’s back line when he travelled to Australia for the three Test series last summer having just been voted the Premiership Player of the Season. However, not even this form could convince Jones to start Goode in any of the Tests as England created history with a 3-0 triumph.

That England did win the series backed up Jones’s selection decisions but Brown returned from the tour absolutely shattered and illness kept him out of the start of the season. Typically, Brown battled back to regain the England No15 jersey for the win over South Africa and will be expected to replace Goode against Argentina.

England vs South Africa in pictures | 12/11/2016

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Goode has not allowed his frustration to affect his commitment to England. The 28-year-old, who has won 20 caps, has been helping Owen Farrell and George Ford with advice and ideas and now gets the chance to put that theory into practice in an England team that has been adjusted to attack differently against Fiji.

Bath wing Semesa Rokoduguni, also in brilliant Premiership form, will replace Harlequin Marland Yarde on the right wing to win only his second cap. Rokoduguni made his debut in 2014 and is now a much better all-round player.

He will be joined in the reshaped back line by club-mate Jonathan Joseph who lost his No13 role to Elliot Daly against the Springboks. Daly wasn’t able to show his running skills last Saturday and now misses out despite having the pace to worry Fiji.

Jones is expected to limit his tinkering up front to bringing in Nathan Hughes for his first start in place of Tom Wood who has been released back to Northampton. Club-mate Teimana Harrison will get his chance off the replacements bench in the back row where Billy Vunipola has recovered from muscle soreness.

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