This Saturday at 5:45 PM, England is set to face France in the second round of the Six Nations, with a significantly reshuffled squad by Steve Borthwick. For the Red Rose’s first match at Twickenham in this year’s tournament, the England head coach has made a bold call by starting Fin Smith at fly-half and shifting Marcus Smith to fullback—a daring move aimed at reigniting an England side struggling for form.
A New Playmaker at Fly-Half.
Steve Borthwick has placed his trust in 22-year-old Northampton fly-half Fin Smith to lead the English attack against Les Bleus. This marks his first start for England, taking over from Marcus Smith, who moves to fullback in place of Freddie Steward. Despite his lack of international experience, Fin Smith will have the support of his club teammate Alex Mitchell, forming an all-Northampton half-back pairing. Borthwick’s goal is clear: inject more dynamism and unpredictability into England’s play.
This reshuffle sees Freddie Steward, a usual fixture at fullback, dropped from the starting XV due to his more conservative playing style, which doesn’t align with Borthwick’s game plan for this clash. Meanwhile, Marcus Smith, now at fullback, will be tasked with launching counter-attacks, injecting pace, and exploiting gaps in France’s formidable defense.
A Reinforced Pack and Key Selection Calls.
Beyond the backline changes, Borthwick has also made significant adjustments to his forward pack. Number eight Tom Willis, who plays for Saracens and is the younger brother of Jack Willis, earns his first start for England. Lining up alongside Tom Curry and Ben Earl, this back-row trio is expected to bring a highly physical edge against the French forwards.
Elsewhere, with Cadan Murley ruled out after picking up an injury against Ireland, Ollie Sleightholme steps in on the left wing. Having scored four tries in three matches during the last autumn series, he presents a serious attacking threat.
On the bench, the presence of experienced players such as Jamie George (97 caps) and Elliot Daly (67 caps) highlights the coaching staff’s intent to secure the latter stages of the match—an area where England has struggled recently, often failing to close out games they were leading.
With these sweeping changes, England aims to turn the tide after a frustrating defeat to Ireland. Whether this tactical shake-up will be enough to overcome a formidable French side—despite Romain Ntamack’s suspension—remains to be seen.
England’s Lineup for the Crunch Against France.
Starting XV:
M. Smith – T. Freeman, O. Lawrence, H. Slade, O. Sleightholme – F. Smith, A. Mitchell – B. Earl, T. Willis, T. Curry – G. Martin, M. Itoje – W. Stuart, L. Cowan-Dickie, E. Genge.
Replacements:
F. Baxter, J. Heyes, J. George, O. Chessum, B. Curry, C. Cunningham-South, H. Randall, E. Daly.
