England team: Fin Smith one of NINE personnel changes as Steve Borthwick wields axe for Italian job
Fin Smith starts at fly-half as head coach Steve Borthwick makes changes to England team.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has made mass changes to his matchday 23 that will face Italy in the Six Nations at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.
Fin Smith comes into the starting line-up at fly-half and is joined by Ben Spencer, with George Ford and Alex Mitchell (injured) dropping out of the squad altogether.
Maro Itoje will captain an England side which features nine personnel changes from the starting team that lost to Ireland in the round three of the 2026 Six Nations.
The new faces coming into Borthwick‘s XV include Jamie George, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Spencer, Smith, Cadan Murley, Seb Atkinson, Tom Roebuck and Elliot Daly, while Tommy Freeman moves from the wing to centre for this weekend’s fixture.
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Other players joining Ford and Mitchell in missing out entirely after the recent defeat to Ireland are Freddie Steward, Ollie Lawrence (injury), Fraser Dingwall and Henry Arundell, with the backline clearly coming under fire from Borthwick and co.
50 up for Ben Earl
There will be a milestone in the England side on Saturday as number eight Ben Earl is set to win his 50th cap, having made his debut against Scotland back in 2020.
“We’re expecting a big test in Rome and it’s one the players are really looking forward to,” said Borthwick when looking ahead to the fixture.
“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.”
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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.”
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England team v Italy
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge
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
Date: Saturday, March 7
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Kick-off: 17:40 local time (16:40 GMT)
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Sam Grove-White (SCO)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
TV: ITV, Virgin Media, TF1, SuperSport, Sky Italia, Sky NZ, Stan Sports, Peacock
