England vs Italy: Borthwick's Major Team Shake-up

**In a bid to snap a painful losing streak, England's head coach Steve Borthwick is poised to shake up his lineup for the upcoming Six Nations clash against Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome. With back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland jeopardizing their championship aspirations and exposing defensive frailties, Borthwick’s squad is under pressure to deliver a robust performance.** The English side, having conceded a distressing total of 73 points in their last two outings, coupled with 53 missed tackles and four yellow cards, reflects a team in disarray. Despite dominating possession and territory, they only managed to score 41 points across these matches. Borthwick candidly acknowledged the need for changes, hinting at a strategic overhaul to rejuvenate his squad against an Italian team hungry for their first win over England. The backline will see a significant reshuffle, starting with Freddie Steward being replaced after an early substitution last weekend. This opens the door for Marcus Smith to potentially start at full-back, a shift that might inject some much-needed creativity into the back-field. George Furbank is also in contention, likely from the bench. Further adjustments include Tommy Freeman shifting to centre, allowing Tom Roebuck to return to the wing, and Seb Atkinson stepping in with his aggressive play at inside centre. In the half-back slots, a new pairing of Fin Smith and Jack van Poortvliet is expected, renewing the 'Smith-squared' dynamic that showed promise against Ireland. "Fin Smith's tempo and spatial awareness brought us two tries last time out," noted Borthwick, indicating a tactical pivot towards a more dynamic attacking approach.

"We're turning to our enforcers to regain control,"

Borthwick stated, signaling a beefier pack against Italy. Changes in the forwards are anticipated, with Ben Earl and Tom Curry bolstering the back-row, while Ollie Chessum may shift there from the lock position to partner with incoming Alex Coles. The scrum should remain solid with Joe Heyes and Ellis Genge continuing as props. Jamie George is expected to start as hooker, bringing stability to a lineout that struggled in recent games. The bench will also reflect a strategic shift, emphasizing strength and impact with Chandler Cunningham-South and Guy Pepper expected to make significant contributions. Theo Dan and Henry Pollock are slated to add further power and energy later in the game. **England projected starting XV:** 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge **Replacements:** 16 Theo Dan, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Guy Pepper, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 George Furbank As England faces a must-win scenario against Italy, all eyes will be on how these changes translate on the field.