England's rugby team is shaking things up for the upcoming match against Italy, with a bold move by coach Steve Borthwick to make 12 changes to the lineup. But here's where it gets controversial... Borthwick's selection is the most radical of his tenure, with a completely new back line and a host of personnel changes.
The team is looking to turn things around after dismal defeats by Scotland and Ireland. Borthwick has rolled the dice, making nine personnel changes and moving players to different positions. Tommy Freeman is now an outside-centre, Ben Earl is back at No 8, and Tom Curry is playing openside. Fin Smith is at fly-half, while Henry Pollock has been dropped after just one start.
Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley, and Elliot Daly are all making their first appearances of the year, while Guy Pepper is back in the back row. Only the captain, Maro Itoje, and the props, Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes, are in the same positions as against Ireland.
In the pack, Jamie George is in for Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker, Pollock is on the bench, and Alex Coles starts in the second row with Itoje. Ollie Chessum, who has been England's most effective player in the championship, is among the replacements after missing training on Monday.
On the back of dismal defeats by Scotland and Ireland, Borthwick has made some bold decisions. George Ford, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell, and Freddie Steward have been dropped from the matchday 23, while Alex Mitchell's injury means Ben Spencer starts at scrum-half.
At fly-half, Smith is named for only his second start since last year's Six Nations, despite missing training on Monday due to illness. Gloucester's Atkinson is set for his Six Nations bow at inside-centre, having made his debut on last summer's tour of Argentina.
The team to face Italy is as follows: 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: 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.
While Smith and Atkinson haven't played together for England before, they both played for Worcester before the club went bust in 2022. Outside them, Freeman is back at outside-centre, Tom Roebuck is on the right wing, and Murley is on the left wing. Daly is at full-back, replacing Steward, who was hooked before half-time against Ireland.
According to rugby statistician Russ Petty, Borthwick's selection includes the most changes to an England back line ever made for a Six Nations game, having never previously made more than four.
Genge and Heyes are the props, while Curry, Earl, and Pepper are in the back row. On the bench, Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, and Davison provide front-row cover, with Chessum, Pollock, and Underhill among the six replacement forwards. Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith complete Borthwick's bench options.
Borthwick said, '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.'
But here's the question: Will these changes pay off? Only time will tell. And this is the part most people miss... Borthwick's selection is a bold move, but will it be enough to turn things around for England? The team has a lot to prove, and the players are ready for the challenge. Now, it's up to them to deliver.
