The England Six Nations squad announcement has dropped, and it's a bold reshuffling of the backline that's sure to get fans talking!
In a significant move for the upcoming clash against Italy this Saturday at 16:40 GMT, Fin Smith is set to make his mark at fly-half. This decision sees George Ford and Fraser Dingwall, who were instrumental in England's impressive autumn performances, completely omitted from the matchday squad. This is a real shake-up, isn't it?
But here's where it gets particularly interesting: Seb Atkinson, a Gloucester centre, is earning his third cap and will feature at inside centre. Meanwhile, Henry Arundell finds himself out of the starting lineup, with Cadan Murley and Tom Roebuck taking the wing positions. And in another notable change, Elliot Daly steps in at full-back, replacing Freddie Steward, who was substituted before halftime in their recent 42-21 loss to Ireland.
With Ollie Lawrence sidelined due to injury, Tommy Freeman will shift from wing to outside centre. At scrum-half, Ben Spencer gets the nod over Jack van Poortvliet, as first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell is unfortunately out for the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Here's the full lineup for England: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Pepper, Curry, Earl.
And the replacements are: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Chessum, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith.
This selection certainly raises questions. Is this the right mix to secure a win against Italy? And what does this mean for the future of some of England's established stars? What are your thoughts on these selections? Do you agree with the coach's decisions, or would you have gone in a different direction? Let me know in the comments below!
