England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his squad to face in-form Ireland in Saturday's Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
The Red Rose manager made several changes to his starting team, placing two players in the backs and one in the pack, and also made changes to the bench.
Here are five takeaways from Borthwick's choices to counter Ireland.
Trust Marcus Smith, tough on Finn
The first point worth discussing is that Northampton star Finn Smith was on the bench as he was left out of the squad at the expense of Marcus Smith, who missed the opening three rounds. The Saints mainstay has done very little wrong since making his debut in the white jersey, but it was ultimately unlucky for him to miss out completely.
As David Campes pointed out in an exclusive interview, Borthwick's lack of support for the attacking prowess of Northampton Saints' star players is puzzling. After the Calcutta Cup defeat, the England manager could have brought Marcus off the bench and brought in Finn.
It will be difficult for England to beat Ireland, but perhaps following Ireland's lead and supporting a young up-and-comer, in their case Jack Crowley, could have yielded a positive result.
This is no disrespect to starter George Ford, he remains a top-notch operator, but his bold decisions against the best team in the northern hemisphere may have been the difference.
One thing is clear: if Borthwick is looking to inject talent and energy into the backline, it will come from Marcus, of whom the England manager is clearly a fan. He has played at fly-half and full-back under Borthwick, and it will be interesting to see if he can replace Ford and George Furbank in the latter stages of games.
big 3
However, there have been some positive changes as Borthwick have strengthened their starting pack for the game against Ireland, including adding George Martin to the second row and shifting Ollie Chetham to the wing.
Replacing Courtney Rhodes in England's set-up will always be a big challenge. Ethan Roots has impressed in stages, but Chetham and Martin are definitely the more long-term solutions.
Martin has impressed in almost every Test match for England so far and combines with Maro Itoje to form a formidable second row that could certainly challenge the Irish.
Having Itoje, Martin and Chetham in the same starting pack has greatly improved England's ability to retain the ball, especially at lineouts. The trio are all hard-working forwards, and with Chandler Cunningham-South and Alex Dombrandt on the bench, Chetham and Martin can empty the tank and Itoje will play the full 80 minutes. It will be.
Borthwick wants a playmaking full-back
England continue to struggle in attack, but it is clear that their attacking pattern relies on full-backs who are comfortable acting as first receivers and playmakers.
Last year, Marcus Smith slipped into the full-back role during the World Cup, and this year Firbank replaced Freddie Steward in the role.
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Steward is incredibly capable under the high ball and is in fact one of the best players in the game, but he has little playmaking ability and uses his big frame and spikes to provide offensive power.
He will likely return to the matchday squad at some stage, but it is clear that he needs to work on his playmaking ability if he is to compete with the likes of Smith and Furbank in the future.
Danny Care hits 100
A well-deserved milestone awaits on Saturday as Danny Care becomes the sixth men's England Test centurion to come off the bench.
The 37-year-old is still in excellent form for Harlequins and has recently been incisive for England. His achievements are even more remarkable considering he was in Test exile from 2018 to 2022 before rejoining the team and becoming a Round 23 regular.
Borthwick praised the veteran when announcing the squad, and rightly so.
“A special tribute to Danny Care, who will win his 100th cap at Twickenham on Saturday. Danny has made a huge contribution to English rugby and reaching this milestone is an incredible achievement. '' said the England manager.
“He is a great player and someone who always puts the team first. I'm sure Saturday will be an emotional and memorable day for Danny and his family, and the team could not be prouder of his accomplishments.” I can’t think.”
Big chance for Immanuel Faye-Waboso
Saturday's test will be a big chance for Exeter Chiefs star Immanuel Fay-Waboso to earn his place in the starting XI.
He has impressed off the bench for the Red Roses this Six Nations and fully deserves the opportunity to play against the best teams in the tournament.
He scored his first try in the last game against Scotland and will be hoping to build on that record against Ireland. A strong, quick winger is what England's backline has been crying out for in recent years, and he provides just that and has the backing of England captain Jamie George.
“Manny is ready – he's more than ready. You can tell by the time he's been on the field so far in the Six Nations,” George said.
“He is an incredible talent, but I was very impressed with the maturity that we saw in Manny.
“His willingness to learn, his eagerness always has to draw him back, but he's very excited about this opportunity. You can see that, and that energy is contagious throughout the team.”
He will line up opposite Ireland's James Lowe, who will no doubt put the speedster through his paces and if he makes it to the top, Borthwick will put him in line for Super Saturday. It will be difficult to lose against France.
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