England's Six Nations campaign has reached a critical juncture, and Steve Borthwick has taken a bold, potentially game-changing step by making a staggering 12 changes to his lineup ahead of the Italy match. This isn't just a tweak—it's a complete overhaul, with an entirely new back line and a host of fresh faces stepping into the fray. But here's where it gets controversial: is this a desperate gamble or a calculated risk to salvage England's tournament hopes? Let's dive in.
Borthwick’s selection is nothing short of radical. Nine personnel changes, coupled with tactical shifts like moving Tommy Freeman to outside-centre, Ben Earl back to No. 8, and Tom Curry to openside, signal a dramatic shift in strategy. Fin Smith steps into the fly-half role, replacing Henry Pollock after just one start, while Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley, and Elliot Daly make their first appearances in this year’s Six Nations. Guy Pepper also returns to the back row, adding further depth to the squad. To put this in perspective, only captain Maro Itoje and props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes retain their positions from the Ireland match—a testament to the scale of Borthwick’s shake-up.
In the pack, Jamie George replaces Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker, with Alex Coles partnering Itoje in the second row. Notably, Ollie Chessum, arguably England’s standout performer in the championship, is among the replacements after missing training on Monday. And this is the part most people miss: Borthwick isn’t just reacting to poor results against Scotland and Ireland—he’s rolling the dice in a high-stakes bid to reignite his team’s spark.
Key players like George Ford, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell, and Freddie Steward are dropped entirely, while Ben Spencer starts at scrum-half due to Alex Mitchell’s injury. Fin Smith, despite missing training due to illness, earns just his second start since last year’s Six Nations. Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson makes his Six Nations debut at inside-centre, having previously impressed on the summer tour of Argentina.
Here’s the full lineup to face Italy:
- Elliot Daly
- Tom Roebuck
- Tommy Freeman
- Seb Atkinson
- Cadan Murley
- Fin Smith
- Ben Spencer
- Ellis Genge
- Jamie George
- Joe Heyes
- Maro Itoje (captain)
- Alex Coles
- Guy Pepper
- Tom Curry
- 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
Smith and Atkinson, former Worcester teammates before the club’s collapse in 2022, will partner for the first time in an England shirt. Freeman returns to outside-centre in place of the injured Ollie Lawrence, while Tom Roebuck is reinstated on the right wing. Murley, who had a challenging debut against Ireland last year, replaces Arundell on the left wing, and Daly takes over at full-back from Freddie Steward, who was substituted before half-time against Ireland.
According to rugby statistician Russ Petty, Borthwick’s selection marks the most extensive changes to an England back line in Six Nations history, surpassing the previous record of four. Is this a masterstroke or a risky experiment? Only time will tell.
On the bench, Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd, and Trevor Davison provide front-row cover, with Chessum, Pollock, and Sam Underhill among the forward replacements. Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith round out Borthwick’s options.
“We’re expecting a big test in Rome, and the players are eager to rise to the challenge,” said Borthwick. “Italy at the Stadio Olimpico will be no easy feat, but we’ve selected a team we believe can deliver the performance we’re striving for.”
What do you think? Is Borthwick’s radical reshuffle the right move, or has he gone too far? Will this new-look England side find their rhythm, or will the changes backfire? Let us know in the comments—this is one debate you won’t want to miss!
