Jack Nowell has been restored to the right wing for England’s Six Nations clash with Wales after Chris Ashton was ruled out by a calf strain.

Nowell excelled during the opening-weekend rout of Ireland before making way for Ashton against France, but he has been thrust back into the starting XV for a seismic showdown in Cardiff.

Supplying wing cover on the bench is Joe Cokanasiga, the marauding Bath threequarter who is poised to win his third cap after recovering from a knee injury.

Eddie Jones said: “Jack will start and Joe will come on to the bench. As we saw in the autumn Joe is a player of great potential so we are looking forward to him adding to the squad.”

A Championship-ending ankle injury has created a vacancy at loosehead prop that is filled by Ben Moon, with Ellis Genge serving as a second-half replacement at the Principality Stadium.

The final of four changes to the matchday 23 sees Brad Shields make his Six Nations debut in place of Nathan Hughes as back row cover.

“Ben Moon will start and Ellis Genge will finish so we’ll get a great 80 minutes out of those two,” Jones said.

“It’s disappointing to lose a player of the calibre of Mako Vunipola but we have two very good players who will do a great job for us.”

England have not lost to Wales in the Six Nations since their harrowing collapse in Cardiff in 2013 and enter the collision between the Championship’s only unbeaten sides as favourites.

Jones one again hailed Warren Gatland’s title hopefuls as the greatest Welsh team in history and cranked up the pressure on the home team.

“Their players are full of emotion and it’s the biggest game they are going to play in their lives,” Jones said.