England team to play Scotland: Marcus Smith dropped

Tuesday, 10 February 2026 at 14:30

byCharlie Elliott

The England team to play Scotland has been confirmed, with head coach Steve Borthwick making two changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield Stadium.

England travel to Edinburgh on Saturday 14 February, with kick-off scheduled for 4.40pm, live on ITV1, as the two sides meet for the 144th time in a rivalry that dates back to 1871.

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Itoje returns as England captain

Following last weekend’s emphatic 48–7 victory over Wales, Borthwick has refreshed his pack for the second round of the Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship.

Maro Itoje returns to the starting lineup and will captain England, while Luke Cowan-Dickie comes into the front row.

Among the replacements, Fin Smith is named on a 6–2 split bench, underlining England’s intent to meet Scotland’s physicality head-on.

Borthwick: ‘A challenge we’re relishing’

Speaking after naming the England team to play Scotland, Borthwick said:

“Playing Scotland at Murrayfield is always a fantastic occasion and a challenge we are relishing.

“We made a pleasing start to the Championship, but we know we must keep raising our standards. The squad has trained with real focus this week and we’re excited for the opportunity ahead.”

Calcutta Cup preview

England head north full of confidence after their dominant Cardiff performance, but Murrayfield remains one of the toughest venues in world rugby. Scotland’s tempo, breakdown aggression and attacking ambition will provide a serious examination of England’s defensive shape and discipline.

With Itoje back leading the side and Cowan-Dickie adding edge in the set-piece, England will look to assert control early — but Calcutta Cup contests are rarely straightforward.

Full team list, match build-up and post-match reaction will be available across the England team channels.

Fixture: Scotland vs England
Competition: Six Nations – Calcutta Cup
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: Saturday, 4:45pm (UK)
TV: ITV / STV

Prediction

This feels closer than England fans might like. Scotland at Murrayfield are relentless, but England’s new-look steel through the middle could blunt their tempo.

Prediction: Scotland 19–22 England
A late score either way wouldn’t surprise — and the Calcutta Cup drama rarely disappoints.

ENGLAND team to play Scotland:

Saturday 14 February 2026

Murrayfield Stadium

Kick-off: 4.40pm

15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 42 caps)

14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 9 caps)

13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 23 caps)

12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)

11. Henry Arundell (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)

10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 106 caps) – vice-captain

9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 28 caps)

1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 76 caps) – vice-captain

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 54 caps)

3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 98 caps) – captain

5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)

6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 8 caps)

7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 46 caps)

8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 47 caps)

Replacements:

16. Jamie George (Saracens, 106 caps) – vice-captain

17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 11 caps)

18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)

19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 15 caps)

20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 66 caps)

21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)

22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)

23. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 13 caps)

Rugby World Cup 2027 Full Draw: England and Wales meet again

The expanded 24-team tournament will be played across Australia from 1 October 2027, with six pools of four teams and a new round-of-16 knockout phase. With fixtures and venues now confirmed by World Rugby, attention quickly turns to how each group will unfold.

Pool A — New Zealand, Australia (H), Chile, Hong Kong China

Group summary

Pool A features tournament hosts Australia and three-time champions New Zealand, making it one of the headline groups of the opening phase. Chile and Hong Kong China will be targeting historic results, while the trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand is expected to be one of the most watched pool matches of the tournament.

Fixtures

1 October 2027 — Australia vs Hong Kong China
Perth Stadium, Perth
2 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Chile
Perth Stadium, Perth
9 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Australia
Stadium Australia, Sydney
9 October 2027 — Chile vs Hong Kong China
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
15 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Hong Kong China
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
16 October 2027 — Australia vs Chile
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane

Pool B — South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania

Group summary

Defending champions South Africa headline Pool B and begin their campaign against Italy. Georgia continue to establish themselves as a consistent World Cup presence, while Romania return aiming to challenge for third place and possible qualification via rankings.

Fixtures

3 October 2027 — South Africa vs Italy
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3 October 2027 — Georgia vs Romania
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
10 October 2027 — South Africa vs Georgia
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
11 October 2027 — Italy vs Romania
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
17 October 2027 — Italy vs Georgia
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
17 October 2027 — South Africa vs Romania
Perth Stadium, Perth

Pool C — Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada

Group summary

Pool C blends South American consistency with Pacific flair. Argentina enter as favourites, while Fiji’s attacking threat makes them dangerous opponents for any side. Spain return to the World Cup looking to make an impact, and Canada continue their rebuilding process.

Fixtures

3 October 2027 — Argentina vs Canada
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
4 October 2027 — Fiji vs Spain
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
10 October 2027 — Fiji vs Canada
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
10 October 2027 — Argentina vs Spain
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
16 October 2027 — Argentina vs Fiji
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
17 October 2027 — Spain vs Canada
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville

Pool D — Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal

Group summary

Ireland and Scotland lead Pool D in what shapes as a tightly contested group. Uruguay and Portugal bring speed and tactical variety, with qualification likely to be decided by fine margins, discipline, and bonus points.

Fixtures

3 October 2027 — Scotland vs Uruguay
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
4 October 2027 — Ireland vs Portugal
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
10 October 2027 — Ireland vs Scotland
Perth Stadium, Perth
11 October 2027 — Uruguay vs Portugal
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
17 October 2027 — Ireland vs Uruguay
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
17 October 2027 — Scotland vs Portugal
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane

Pool E — France, Japan, United States, Samoa

Group summary

France headline Pool E after reaching the previous final, with Japan expected to challenge strongly for second place. Samoa and the United States provide physicality and athleticism, making this one of the more unpredictable groups.

Fixtures

2 October 2027 — France vs United States
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
3 October 2027 — Japan vs Samoa
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
9 October 2027 — United States vs Samoa
Perth Stadium, Perth
9 October 2027 — France vs Japan
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
15 October 2027 — Japan vs United States
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
17 October 2027 — France vs Samoa
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Pool F — England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe

Group summary

Pool F is defined by the renewed rivalry between England and Wales, who will meet in one of the final pool fixtures in Sydney. Tonga’s physical style and Zimbabwe’s return to the World Cup add further intrigue, with third place potentially enough to reach the knockout stage depending on rankings.