Six Nations: England drop Marcus Smith for Italy clash as Elliot Daly and Fin Smith start
England host Italy in fourth round of the Six Nations at Allianz Stadium Twickenham on Sunday (kick-off 3pm); Marcus Smith has been dropped, with head coach Steve Borthwick favouring Elliot Daly and Fin Smith
Thursday 6 March 2025 06:02, UK
Marcus Smith has been dropped by England for Sunday's Six Nations fourth-round fixture against Italy, with Elliot Daly starting at full-back and Fin Smith retaining his place at fly-half.
Marcus Smith had been Steve Borthwick's first-choice pick at No 10 since the 2023 Rugby World Cup whenever he has been fit, but was shifted to full-back for England's second and third-round matches against France and Scotland, with Fin Smith coming in and also taking over place-kicking.
The decision to drop Marcus Smith to the replacements bench is a big one, with Daly rewarded for his form off the bench with a start in the back field.
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England coach Steve Borthwick clarified his decision, insisting that he looks forward to "unleashing" Smith once Italy are fatigued at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
"I think we've got a lot of talented players, a lot of talented backs with attacking ability," said Borthwick. "Marcus has done so many things we want.
"He's a game-changer. He has impact in games. When he has the impact, it's a different time of the game now to what it has been.
"I think Marcus has done some really outstanding things. He has the ability to find space that other players can't.
"The exiting thing I'm looking forward to is unleashing him when there's a bit of fatigue on the pitch, there's a bit of space, he comes on with his freshness. I think the whole of Allianz Stadium will be excited to see him come onto the pitch in the second half."
Elsewhere, former skipper Jamie George will start at hooker, meaning he will win his 100th England cap, while Fraser Dingwall starts at centre.
"Reaching 100 caps is a wonderful achievement that reflects Jamie's talent, dedication and hard work. He has consistently given his all while wearing an England shirt and the team couldn't be prouder of his incredible milestone," said Borthwick.
Luke Cowan-Dickie drops to the bench, while Henry Slade is absent from the squad.
At lock, England captain Maro Itoje is again paired with Ollie Chessum, while the back row sees Tom Curry on the blindside flank, Ben Earl at openside and Tom Willis at No 8 to complete the pack.
Alex Mitchell is at scrum-half with Fin Smith at 10 and in midfield, Dingwall is named at inside centre, earning his first start of the championship, with Ollie Lawrence at 13.
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Tom Curry, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Tom Willis.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.
Six Nations fixtures: Round Four
Saturday March 8
Ireland vs France (2.15pm)
Scotland vs Wales (4.45pm)
Sunday March 9
England vs Italy (3pm)
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