England head to Paris for the final round of the Six Nations with pride, rather than silverware, on the line.
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After a humiliating defeat to Italy, their first in 33 meetings, Steve Borthwick’s side will be desperate to respond. France, meanwhile, still have everything to play for, setting up a daunting challenge as England look to restore credibility.
15 George Furbank
Furbank is arguably England’s standout fullback right now. While it’s understandable that he hasn’t featured yet as he works his way back from injury, if he isn’t available for the final match then it raises the question of why he was included in the squad in the first place. He appears fit enough, so England should give him the opportunity at 15 and allow him to show what he can offer.
14 Tommy Freeman
Ideally, Freeman would be wearing the 13 jersey. However, after some underwhelming displays, Tom Roebuck could do with being left out, and Freeman is the most natural option in the squad to step onto the wing. As a result, the Northampton Saint moves back to his usual position.
13 Henry Slade
Slade brings plenty of experience and is performing well at club level. Deploying him at outside centre provides stability and composure to the backline.
12 Seb Atkinson
Although his Six Nations debut against Italy wasn’t his strongest showing, Atkinson has shown clear potential and has earned enough goodwill to be given another chance against France. Fraser Dingwall remains an option, but Atkinson’s higher ceiling makes him the more exciting pick.
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11 Cadan Murley
Options on the wing are limited. It’s essentially between Murley and Henry Arundell, who has struggled for form this tournament. Giving Arundell a breather could help ease the pressure, while Murley proved against Italy that he can slot in effectively and didn’t perform badly last weekend.
10 Fin Smith
Smith had a difficult game against Italy, but he remains the most promising fly-half in the country. He deserves a run of matches to grow into the role. Despite the setback in Rome, his talent and maturity suggest he will bounce back, so England should avoid constant changes in this position.
9 Jack van Poortvliet
Van Poortvliet offers more attacking spark than Ben Spencer, and that’s something England could use. With youth on his side, more game time will only aid his development.
