England team: Steve Borthwick benches Maro Itoje as Tommy Freeman gets centre nod
England captain Maro Itoje, who is on the bench v Wales, and head coach Steve Borthwick.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his team for their opening Six Nations match of 2026, against Wales at Twickenham, with Maro Itoje moved to the bench.
Saturday’s game will mark the 144th meeting of this historic rivalry, which dates back to 1881, with the English very much one of the front-runners for this year’s title.
Jamie George will captain England for their opening fixture of the Championship and will be supported by vice-captains George Ford and Ellis Genge at Twickenham.
George is joined in the front-row by Genge and Joe Heyes while Alex Coles and Ollie Chessum are the starting lock combination, with Itoje covering them via the bench.
Borthwick has opted for consistency in the back-row as Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill line up as the two flanks while Ben Earl is at number eight for this home meeting.
Tommy Freeman at centre
There is also a familiar look to the half-backs as Alex Mitchell links up with Ford, while Fraser Dingwall features alongside Tommy Freeman in the midfield this weekend.
Completing the starting XV is a back three that has searing speed on the wings in Henry Arundell and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with Freddie Steward wearing number 15.
As mentioned, usual skipper Itoje is included on the bench as England once again opt for the 6/2 split. Itoje is joined by Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd, Trevor Davison, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock as the forward cover, while Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith are the two backline replacements.
“England versus Wales is always a special occasion in the rugby calendar. It’s a fierce rivalry with a long history, and one that brings a huge challenge every time we meet,” said Borthwick.
“We expect Wales to bring a kicking game, so we’ll need to be accurate in how we respond to that challenge. For us, our focus is on executing our game plan and maintaining discipline throughout the match.
“We’re excited to get the Championship underway at a packed-out Allianz Stadium. The support we receive at home is outstanding and always gives the players a huge lift.”
England team to face Wales
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith
Date: Saturday, February 7
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 16:40 GMT
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (RA), Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)
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