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 their clash with Italy. This isn't just a tweak; it's a complete overhaul, with an entirely new back line taking the field. But here's where it gets controversial: is this a desperate gamble or a calculated risk to salvage England's tournament hopes? And this is the part most people miss—Borthwick isn’t just shuffling players; he’s redefining roles, like moving Tommy Freeman to outside-centre and shifting Ben Earl back to No. 8. Even more striking, Fin Smith steps into the fly-half role for only his second start since last year’s Six Nations, despite missing training due to illness. Meanwhile, Henry Pollock, after just one start, finds himself dropped from the squad entirely.
Among the fresh faces, Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley, and Elliot Daly make their first appearances in this year’s tournament, while Guy Pepper returns to the back row. To put Borthwick’s radical selection into perspective, only captain Maro Itoje and props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes retain their positions from the Ireland match. In the pack, Jamie George replaces Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker, and Alex Coles partners Itoje in the second row. Notably, Ollie Chessum, arguably England’s standout performer this championship, is benched after missing Monday’s training.
Coming off demoralizing defeats to Scotland and Ireland, Borthwick is rolling the dice. Key players like George Ford, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell, and Freddie Steward are omitted entirely, while Ben Spencer steps in at scrum-half due to Alex Mitchell’s injury. Gloucester’s Atkinson, who debuted last summer in Argentina, gets his Six Nations bow at inside-centre, pairing with Smith—a duo that has never played together for England but shares a Worcester connection before the club’s collapse in 2022.
Here’s the lineup that will 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
Murley, who had a challenging debut against Ireland last year, replaces Arundell on the left wing, while Daly takes over at full-back from Freddie Steward, who was substituted before halftime in the Ireland game. 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.
On the bench, Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, and Davison provide front-row cover, with Chessum, Pollock, and Underhill among the forward replacements. Van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith round out the options. “We’re expecting a big test in Rome, and the players are eager to rise to the challenge,” Borthwick said. “We know Italy will be tough at the Stadio Olimpico, and we’ve picked a team we believe can deliver the performance we’re aiming for.”
But here’s the burning question: Is Borthwick’s radical reshuffle a stroke of genius or a risky move that could backfire? With so many untested combinations, will England find their rhythm, or will Italy exploit the inexperience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you think this lineup will turn England’s campaign around, or is it a step too far?
