Fin Smith will start for England in their Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday as Steve Borthwick has 'torn up the script' and made wholesale changes to his team.Â
Borthwick has made nine personnel changes in light of back-to-back defeats against Scotland and Ireland, results which leave England out of title contention ahead of their game at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
It is the most changes ever made by England in the Six Nations era.
Tommy Freeman moves from wing to outside centre while Fin Smith, in his first start since the autumn, replaces George Ford at fly-half. Rising star Henry Pollock is dropped back to the bench after making his first start against Ireland.
Jamie George, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Ben Spencer, Fin Smith, Cadan Murley, Seb Atkinson and Tom Roebuck all also come into the team.
Your Site' James Cole says...
"Steve Borthwick has torn up the script, well most of it. 12 changes in total, nine personnel, three positional. This is really uncharacteristic. Almost unprecedented.
"The last time I can remember him making anywhere near as many changes as this was at the Rugby World Cup in 2023 but that was ahead of a game against Chile. This is a Six Nations game and it's a sign of how important this game is.
"Whether it's a tactical masterstroke or a stroke of desperation, that will only be dictated by the result in Rome."
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Borthwick was keen to stress that the wholesale changes made to his side serve as a warning shot in response to the dramatic end to to their title ambitions.
"All of us have been really disappointed with the performances in the last two games," Borthwick said.
"Clearly there are some key aspects that weren't good enough. Those have been addressed.
"I say to the team that we have certain standards and I'm going to hold them to those standards. There are certain things that, to me, are unwavering. Things that I will not move upon.
"Unfortunately, in the last two games, on certain things, we've not met those standards. We want an improved performance and result this weekend."
British and Irish Lions playmaker Smith marshals a back line that has been change entirely after the mauling from Ireland. None of the units behind the scrum have previously played together.
Maro Itoje will captain the team and No 8 Ben Earl will win his 50th cap for England, having made his debut against Scotland in 2020.
"We're expecting a big test in Rome and it's one the players are really looking forward to," said Borthwick.
"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."
On Earl's milestone, Borthwick added: "To reach 50 caps for England speaks volumes about Ben's professionalism and the consistency of his performances. He's an important leader within this group, someone who drives standards and brings energy every day. It's a wonderful achievement and one he should be very proud of."
England have won all 32 previous encounters with Italy but Gonzalo Quesada's men are the strongest team fielded by the Azzurri since they joined the Six Nations in 2000.
Back-to-back heavy defeats by Scotland and Ireland have heaped pressure on Borthwick, with a trip to Paris to face Grand Slam chasing France concluding another disappointing Six Nations.
Borthwick has made radical changes to his side for the Italy match from the last game against Ireland. The backline will be entirely different from that last match, with Freeman the only survivor and his position has changed. He moves from the win to outside centre.
Of the backs who featured in the starting XV against Ireland Freddie Steward, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell and Ford have all been jettisoned, as well as Alex Mitchell and Ollie Lawrence who were injured.
In the pack that will start in Rome, only Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes and Itoje keep their shirts. Earl and Tom Curry are shuffled in the back row, while George comes in at hooker and Coles will appear in the second row.
Borthwick and his players spent time with Thomas Tuchel on Tuesday after the manager of the national football team visited England's Surrey training base.
While he did not have the opportunity to speak to Tuchel about the pressures of managing an England side, he has had conversations with the German's predecessor Gareth Southgate and his cricketing counterpart Brendon McCullum.
Borthwick, whose regime is under scrutiny following recent results, said: "Expectation comes with the territory when you're involved with English sport. I'd much rather be involved with the team with expectation than the one without.
"With Gareth Southgate and with Brendon McCullum I've certainly talked about the approach to those expectations and how they've dealt with it.
"We live in a society now where there are these extremes, there is this polarity. I can't do anything about what's outside, but what I can do is about what's inside.
"Which is, let's concentrate on what the main thing is, let's keep that. There's all this stuff trying to pull you one way or the other, but we'll stay on the main thing."
Starting XV: 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 (c), 5 Alex Coles, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.
