England's Six Nations hopes hang by a thread, and coach Steve Borthwick has just unleashed the most drastic team shake-up of his tenure to try and save it! With a staggering 12 changes to the squad facing Italy, Borthwick is clearly pulling out all the stops, opting for an entirely new back line in a bid to reignite England's faltering campaign. This isn't just a minor tweak; it's a wholesale revolution!
But here's where it gets controversial... Borthwick has made nine personnel shifts, alongside strategic positional changes. Tommy Freeman is now stepping into the crucial outside-centre role, Ben Earl is back to anchor the scrum at No. 8, and Tom Curry is shifting to openside flanker. Even the fly-half position sees a change, with Fin Smith getting the nod, and Henry Pollock being dropped after just a single start.
And this is the part most people miss... New faces are set to make their mark! Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley, and Elliot Daly are all making their first appearances of this year's Six Nations. Guy Pepper is also returning to the back row. The sheer scale of these alterations is highlighted by the fact that only captain Maro Itoje and props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes remain in the same positions as they were in the previous match against Ireland.
In the forward pack, Jamie George is coming in at hooker to replace Luke Cowan-Dickie. Pollock makes his return to the bench, and Alex Coles will partner Itoje in the second row. Notably, Ollie Chessum, who has arguably been England's standout player in the championship so far, finds himself among the replacements, having missed training on Monday.
Following disappointing defeats against Scotland and Ireland, Borthwick has clearly decided to roll the dice. Key players like George Ford, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell, and Freddie Steward have been completely removed from the matchday 23. With Alex Mitchell sidelined due to injury, Ben Spencer will start at scrum-half.
At fly-half, Fin Smith is set for only his second start of the Six Nations, despite sitting out training on Monday due to illness. Gloucester's Seb Atkinson is poised for his Six Nations debut at inside-centre, having previously earned his cap on the summer tour to Argentina.
England Team to Face Italy:
- 15 Elliot Daly
- 14 Tom Roebuck
- 13 Tommy Freeman
- 12 Seb Atkinson
- 11 Cadan Murley
- 10 Fin Smith
- 9 Ben Spencer
- 1 Ellis Genge
- 2 Jamie George
- 3 Joe Heyes
- 4 Maro Itoje (captain)
- 5 Alex Coles
- 6 Guy Pepper
- 7 Tom Curry
- 8 Ben Earl
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd, Trevor Davison, Ollie Chessum, Sam Underhill, Henry Pollock, Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith.
It's worth noting that Fin Smith and Seb Atkinson have never played together for England before, though they were both at Worcester before the club's unfortunate demise in 2022. On the outside, Freeman returns to his familiar outside-centre position, filling in for the injured Ollie Lawrence, while Tom Roebuck is back on the right wing. Cadan Murley, who had a challenging debut against Ireland last year, replaces Arundell on the left wing. Elliot Daly steps in at full-back, taking over from Freddie Steward, who was substituted before halftime in the Ireland match.
Remarkably, according to rugby statistician Russ Petty, this selection represents the most changes to an England back line ever made for a Six Nations fixture, surpassing the previous record of no more than four changes.
In the pack, Genge and Heyes continue as props, with Curry and Earl joining Pepper in the back row. The bench provides cover with Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, and Davison for the front row, and Chessum, Pollock, and Underhill among six replacement forwards. Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith round out Borthwick's options.
Coach Borthwick himself stated, “We’re expecting a big test in Rome and it’s one the players are really looking forward to. We know the challenge Italy will bring at the Stadio Olimpico, and we’ve selected a team we believe will deliver the level of performance we’re striving for.”
Now, over to you! Do you think these radical changes are the masterstroke England needs, or is Borthwick risking too much? Are there any selections that particularly surprise or concern you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below – we'd love to hear your take!
