Steve Borthwick’s overhaul of England’s backline
Steve Borthwick is poised to implement a wholesale transformation of England’s backline for Saturday’s Six Nations encounter with Italy in Rome, reports BritPanorama.
The sweeping reshuffle follows bruising successive defeats against Scotland and Ireland. The head coach is understood to opt to overhaul virtually his entire back division.
Tommy Freeman remains the only survivor from the 42-21 thrashing by Ireland, though he moves from the wing to outside centre. The anticipated nine alterations to the starting XV would represent the most significant personnel shake-up in a Six Nations fixture since England faced France in 2007. Freeman is likely to line up alongside Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson in the centre, marking Atkinson’s debut in the Six Nations.
Smith appears primed to take over playmaking duties from George Ford at fly-half, though the Northampton man missed Monday’s training session at Pennyhill Park due to illness. Should he recover in time, Smith will combine with scrum-half Ben Spencer to form an entirely new half-back partnership. Remarkably, none of the proposed combinations across the half-backs, centres and back three have previously started together for England. The move represents a considerable gamble from a coach who typically prioritises team cohesion.
Tom Roebuck earns a recall to the squad after being omitted for the Ireland defeat, while Harlequins flyer Cadan Murley is set to collect just his fifth international cap on the opposite wing. At fullback, Daly has seen off challenges from both Marcus Smith and George Furbank to secure the No 15 jersey, bringing his 74 caps’ worth of experience to a backline where he possesses more international appearances than his fellow backs combined. Not all changes stem from selection decisions; scrum-half Alex Mitchell has been ruled out of the remainder of the championship with a hamstring problem, while centre Ollie Lawrence is sidelined with a knee injury.
The changes extend into the forward pack, where flanker Henry Pollock has been dropped following his first start against Ireland. Borthwick has instead selected a workmanlike back row comprising Guy Pepper, Tom Curry, and Ben Earl. In the second row, Alex Coles comes in for Ollie Chessum alongside captain Maro Itoje, with Chessum understood to be carrying a fitness concern after sitting out Monday’s training. The front row of Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and Joe Heyes represents the sole unchanged unit, despite the hooker’s lineout difficulties that saw him substituted after just 29 minutes against Ireland.
A fresh outlook on selection reveals a coach ready to take necessary risks — and in sport, such decisions often lead to unexpected outcomes. It’s a reminder that, for all the strategies and formations, success hinges on the players who wear the shirt. Saturday’s clash in Rome will reveal just how far England can go in this turbulent Six Nations campaign.
