November 13, 2012, 7:38 am -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- The England Rugby squad for the QBE Internationals has been announced. It's a mixture of old and new, with Mako Vunipola and Tom Youngs set to make their debuts alongside veterans including James Haskell.
Head coach Stuart Lancaster said of Vunipola ‘it's great to be able to give Mako a chance in the squad… he has come through our age grade sides and made a real impact at Saracens'. Lancaster also said his team ‘couldn't wait' to get the oval ball rolling in the competition, which for England begins on November 10 th against Fiji. The full 32-strong squad can be seen at qberugby.com.
Most fans regard England's clash with Australia at Twickenham on November 17th as the crucial tie of the tournament. In their last Autumn International, England comfortably saw off the Aussies 35-18.
The countries have historically been a hotly matched contest, with England emerging victorious in their last two encounters (and famously at the 2003 World Cup Final). But Australia are undoubtedly the overall winners, having won 23 of the 40 matches which have taken place between the two over the last hundred-odd years.
Twickenham's 82,000 seats are expected to be almost entirely filled come 2.30pm on the 17 th . Website LondonTown.com has partnered with a number of London hotels situated within easy reach of Twickenham Stadium to offer special discounts to travelling Wallabies supporters and any England fans coming from outside the capital.
Richmond , a short drive over the Thames from the stadium, has two hotels taking part in the LondonTown.com deal. The Richmond Hill Hotel is currently offering double rooms for £63 per night – an 80% discount on the standard rate.
The Richmond Gate Hotel is offering double rooms at a 78% discount. The reduction brings the cost of a night's stay down to £91. Twickenham is situated less than a couple of miles from the hotel.
Other discounted London hotel rooms are available through LondonTown.com. Visit the website for more information on the Autumn Internationals, to find your own London hotel, and for ticketing and information on all major events taking place in the city this year, visit LondonTown.com.
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