Clive Woodward: 'England's key men need to be protected'

Former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward has urged Stuart Lancaster to protect Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Ben Youngs for a further week ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

The trio weren't included in the squad which beat France on Saturday in a warm-up match at Twickenham, and Woodward doesn't want to see them feature in the reverse match in Paris in case of injury.

He wrote in the Daily Mail: "It is a tricky time right now for coaches because there is a need to preserve the players you consider irreplaceable.

"England have three — Joseph, Ford and Youngs. I would put them all in mothballs until the Ireland game on September 5, when England should reveal their starting XV for the World Cup.

"None of them needs to be risked in Paris at the weekend, although I suspect they will be. Remember, the World Cup is in September, not August."

Lancaster will name his final 31-man squad on August 31.