England coach Steve Borthwick has dropped Marcus Smith from his starting side for the Six Nations clash against Italy at Twickenham on Sunday.
Smith has been replaced by Elliot Daly after switching from fly-half to fill in as England’s full-back in their recent wins over France and Scotland.
A more experienced performer in the No 15 shirt, Daly’s inclusion comes following two impressive cameo displays off the England bench by the Saracens utility back.
With Fin Smith retained at fly-half in the team announced by Borthwick on Wednesday, there is no place in the starting side for Marcus Smith, who is now on the bench.
Fraser Dingwall becomes one of five Northampton players in the backline after replacing the dropped Henry Slade at inside centre.
“I think you’ll have seen the impact Elliot Daly has had off the bench in recent games,” Borthwick told reporters at England’s training base in Bagshot.
“It’s been significant and I’m looking forward to seeing Marcus Smith enter the game against tiring defenders.”
As for his decision to hand Dingwall just his third cap, Borthwick said: “Fraser’s a really smart player. He’s a really intelligent rugby player.
“And I think he makes other players around him play better because of his presence. That’s the type of player he is. He does a lot of that unseen work.”
Harlequins star Marcus Smith, 26, played eight straight Tests in his preferred position, but England only managed to defeat Japan during that sequence.
That prompted Borthwick to move him to full-back following the 27-22 loss in Ireland, with Northampton’s 22-year-old Fin Smith given a first Test start at fly-half for the France game.
‘Phenomenal George’
Meanwhile, former England captain Jamie George will win his 100th cap as he changes places with the now benched hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.
The 34-year-old George succeeded Owen Farrell as England skipper ahead of the 2024 Six Nations, but lost the captaincy to Saracens team-mate Maro Itoje before this year’s championship.
“I think Jamie continues to be a phenomenal player for English rugby,” said Borthwick. “And I think you’ve seen the way he has impacted the games in the second half.
“In the last two games, he’s been terrific. And now I’m asking him to do that right from the very start of the game.”
After losing their opener against champions Ireland, England have beaten France 26-25 and Scotland 16-15, keeping them in with a chance of winning the title with two games to go.
Borthwick’s team will need unbeaten Ireland, chasing an unprecedented third successive Six Nations crown, to slip up against France in Dublin on Saturday to maintain any realistic hope of being crowned champions for the first time since 2020.
England, who have never lost to Italy, have a six-day turnaround after Sunday’s match before finishing their Six Nations campaign against Wales in Cardiff.
England (15-1)
Elliot Daly, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Sleightholme; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Tom Willis, Ben Earl, Tom Curry; Ollie Chessum, Maro Itoje (capt); Will Stuart, Jamie George, Ellis Genge
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Ted Hill, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith
Coach: Steve Borthwick (ENG)