Courtney Lawes calls for patience as England build towards 2023 World Cup

Courtney Lawes has called for patience as England rebuild for next year’s World Cup by rolling the dice in selection for Saturday’s second Test against Australia.

Eddie Jones has undertaken a radical revamp of the back line for the attempt to keep the series alive at Suncorp Stadium by giving debuts to centre Guy Porter and wing Tommy Freeman, as well as a first start to scrum Jack van Poortvliet.

The fourth and final change to the side dispatched 30-28 in Perth sees Sam Underhill replace Tom Curry, whose tour has been ended by concussion.

Jones hopes Porter and Freeman, who have been picked at the expense of Joe Marchant and Joe Cokanasiga, will provide the ball-carrying threat in midfield and finishing expertise out wide that were missing from the first Test.

England’s head coach has risked the wrath of fans by continuing to identify France 2023 as the ultimate aim, even as his team bid to avoid crashing to a series defeat in a match he describes as “the perfect practice for the World Cup”.

Lawes insists senior red rose players fully support the direction of travel, despite Jones’ scattergun approach to selection, while stressing that progress will take time.

“Just because we have a new team and a new strategy, and are trying to find our DNA as a team, because we’ve got so many new players doesn’t mean that we don’t feel like we’re good enough to beat Australia. We certainly do,” England’s captain said.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we win the series. But at the same time, yes, we’ve had the conversation that we’re making these changes for a reason.

“We think it will open up our potential and we’ll be a better team for it. Maybe not now, it’s going to take time to get there and we are going to have