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Middle East conflict impacts Italy vs England Six Nations clash
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Steve Borthwick conducts mass overhaul with 6 England players axed entirely
By Josh Raisey
Six of the players who started in England’s Guinness Six Nations loss to Ireland have been dropped entirely by Steve Borthwick, with a further three dropped to the bench, for their round four clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday.
The six players to lose their place in the squad entirely are all in the backline, with Tommy Freeman the only player to feature at all, as England look to bounce back from consecutive losses to Scotland and Ireland. The Northampton Saint has moved infield to start at outside centre, where he started the first two matches of the Championship before moving to the wing, replacing the injured Ollie Lawrence.
Full-back Elliot Daly, wing Cadan Murley and inside centre Seb Atkinson have all come in for their first appearances of the Championship, while Tom Roebuck has returned to the starting XV after missing the match against Ireland. Fin Smith and Ben Spencer, meanwhile, will make their first starts of 2026, with Bath star replacing the injured Alex Mitchell, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the Championship with a hamstring issue.
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In the pack, Jamie George has returned to the front-row, replacing Luke Cowan-Dickie, who was replaced before half time at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium against Ireland as the visitors raced to a 22-0 lead. Alex Coles will start in the second-row in place of Ollie Chessum, while Guy Pepper will return to the starting XV, having started in the first two rounds, with Henry Pollock returning to the bench.
The make-up of the bench is largely the same as the one that was tasked with trying to resuscitate a lifeless England team that were hammered 42-21 against Ireland. The only changes will see Cowan-Dickie, Chessum and Pollock operating as substitutes this week. Jack van Poorvliet and Marcus Smith, who were both thrown into action in the first half against Ireland, are the two options among the backs again.
Pepper’s return to the starting XV in the No.6 jersey means Tom Curry will shift to openside flanker, while Ben Earl, who will be earning his 50th England cap in Rome, will return to the back of the scrum after moving to the flank to accommodate Pollock at No.8 against Andy Farrell’s side.
With Freeman also moving positions, only three players have retained the same jersey as the one they wore against Ireland: props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes, and captain Maro Itoje.
“We’re expecting a big test in Rome and it’s one the players are really looking forward to,” said Borthwick. “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.”
On Earl’s milestone, he added: “To reach 50 caps for England speaks volumes about Ben’s professionalism and the consistency of his performances. He’s an important leader within this group, someone who drives standards and brings energy every day. It’s a wonderful achievement and one he should be very proud of.”
England XV
15. Elliot Daly (Saracens)
14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
2. Jamie George (Saracens)
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens) (c)
5. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens)
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints)
19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
20. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
22. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)
23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
