Sam Burgess dropped for England’s final World Cup match against Uruguay

This weekend’s clash with the South Americans at the City of Manchester Stadium is now a dead rubber to all intents and purposes.

Lancaster, though, said despite the game having no impact on the line-up for the quarter-finals it offered chances to those who had not played a part in the tournament so far.

Centre Manu Tuilagi was suspended by England for assaulting police officers, while hooker Dylan Hartley was withdrawn from the squad after being banned for headbutting an opponent in a Premiership game for Northampton.

Burgess was omitted from the starting XV as Stuart Lancaster’s men were effectively dumped out of the tournament on Saturday night when they fell to a 33-13 defeat to Australia and he has now lost his place on the bench.

“Now we have so many ball players in our backline we’re wondering who is going to carry the ball!”

“You have to at a few point as a leader give everyone a sense of direction and perspective”, he said.

“It’s important that we put together a positive, attacking display and I think this team will reflect that”. “We have not won every game, but we have won a lot and people should not forget that”.

Henry Slade and Jack Nowell come in at outside centre and wing while Alex Goode and Danny Care will also make their make their first appearances in the competition at full back and scrum half, respectively.

England team to face Uruguay: Alex Goode, Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Owen Farrell, Jack Nowell, George Ford.

Chris Robshaw will captain England again and Lancaster is excited to see what his new-look side can produce.

There has been only one change to the front row with Mako Vunipola preferred to Joe Marler, the second row of Joe Launchbury and Geoff Parling remains intact and James Haskell and Nick Easter start in the back row.

“I 100% believe that the group of players sat at Pennyhill in January for the RBS 6 Nations will be very similar to the group we have now”, he added.

“Some of our most talented players are our younger players”.