Veteran prop Dan Cole will win his 91st cap at tight-head to go joint-third with Jonny Wilkinson on England men’s all-time list, scrum-half Ben Youngs joining him if he comes off the bench as expected.
Cole was left out of Jones’ squad earlier this year but is back in his third World Cup, along with Youngs and Courtney Lawes.
Jones said: “We had a number of conversations, and I’m really proud of how Dan has fought his way back.
“At one stage it was going to be difficult for him to go to the World Cup.
“We gave him a number of things he needed to work on, he went away and worked on them tremendously hard, so it’s a great achievement for him and his family.
“To get 91 caps at tight-head for your country – particularly England, which is such a scrummaging powerhouse – gives an indication of his influence in the game.”
Ford is enjoying a run of starts at fly-half, having sat on the bench during the Six Nations as Jones preferred Owen Farrell at 10 with a Manu Tuilagi/Henry Slade combination at centre.
But his two starts in this tournament do not mean he will get the same opportunity when the sterner tests of Argentina and France come in the next two games, according to his coach.
“You should read a lot into it – George is the best 10 for the USA game,” he said.
“He just keeps evolving as a player, as do a number of our players.
“That’s what I’m most impressed about with our team – there’s a real thirst within the team to improve, and George is at the head of the queue pushing that forward.”
England have won all five of their previous meetings with the USA, beating them in the World Cups of 1987, 1991 and 2007.
