England fans have voiced their frustration after Steve Borthwick confirmed his starting XV for Saturday's clash with Japan in the second round of the autumn Nations Championship.
The decision to leave Marcus Smith out of the starting line-up has proved particularly unpopular, with George Ford preferred at fly-half despite his difficult start to the season with Sale Sharks.
England head into the fixture on the back of an impressive 45-22 victory over Australia at Allianz Stadium.
However, with next weekend's showdown against the All Blacks firmly in mind, Borthwick has made 10 changes to his side for the meeting with Eddie Jones' Japan.
Much of the attention has centred on the number 10 shirt.
Fin Smith has been rested after recently returning from injury, although he has trained throughout the week and is expected to be available for the All Blacks fixture. His omission is therefore understood to be a precautionary measure to manage his workload.
That left Borthwick with a straight choice between Ford and Marcus Smith, two fly-halves with very different approaches to the game.
The 33-year-old Ford has struggled for consistency with Sale this season and offers a more conservative option.
Meanwhile, Harlequins playmaker Marcus Smith has impressed in the opening stages of the campaign and brings a more unpredictable, attacking threat.
Although Ford is arguably the more consistent operator, Marcus Smith possesses the ability to produce moments of brilliance and remains one of the most exciting talents in world rugby when at his best.
Borthwick has ultimately decided to go with experience, handing Ford the starting shirt while once again leaving Marcus Smith among the replacements.
That decision has not gone down well with supporters, who quickly took to social media to make their feelings clear following the team announcement.
One Instagram user questioned the selection, writing: "Fly half choise is… um… interesting? Give Marcus the keys 🔑."
Another described the decision not to start Smith as a "joke", while a different supporter suggested the Harlequins playmaker could eventually look to France for club opportunities if England continue to overlook him.
One fan even suggested Borthwick should consider using Smith at scrum-half, a position in which he has actually featured more often for England than fly-half since the second round of the 2025 Six Nations.
They wrote: "why can’t Marcus smith start at 10? he being in great form for Quins this season or play him at nine?"
Others believe Ford's selection points towards a negative approach from Borthwick against supposedly weaker opposition, with one supporter predicting another familiar kicking-focused display.
"George Ford are you for real Borthwick here comes the kicking game again."
