THE LILLE THING

Ford and Farrell primed to dazzle

- ALEX SPINK

GEORGE FORD and Owen Farrell are set to start together for England on Saturday for the first time in two-and-a-half years.

England are already through to the quarter-finals and Samoa cannot advance, but with a likely last-eight clash against Fiji on Sunday week, boss Steve Borthwick has no time to experiment.

He would have wanted to harness the two playmakers at flyhalf and inside-centre before now, but Farrell's four-match ban for a dangerous tackle against Wales in August kiboshed that.