George Ford dropped from the England squad completely

Steve Borthwick is poised to overhaul his backline for this weekend’s Six Nations clash with Italy, and fresh reports suggest there is still plenty of debate over who will wear the No.15 shirt.

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According to The Times, Marcus Smith is set to start at fullback as part of a major attacking reshuffle. The Harlequins playmaker would move from fly-half in a bid to inject more spark from deep.

However, The Telegraph claim that Elliot Daly could instead get the nod at the back, offering a more experienced and defensively solid option after England’s struggles in Dublin.

What does appear increasingly clear is that both Smiths will start.

Fin Smith is expected to take the reins at fly-half, with Marcus Smith slotting in elsewhere in the backline. That combination would signal a significant shift in approach from Borthwick as he looks to respond to the 42-21 hammering by Ireland.

The big casualty? George Ford.

The veteran fly-half has found himself under pressure after failing to inspire in England’s recent defeats, and with the new half-back axis taking shape, Ford is now likely to be left out of the matchday squad altogether.

It would be a ruthless call from Borthwick – but one that underlines the scale of change underway at Twickenham.

England have won all 26 of their previous Six Nations meetings with Italy – the only fixture in the Championship where one side holds a 100% win record over the other.

After losing 26 consecutive home games in the Men’s Six Nations between 2014 and 2024, Italy have bounced back with three wins in their last five matches in Rome.

However, the Azzurri remain the only team never to secure a home victory with a try-scoring bonus pointin the Championship.

England are the only side in the 2026 Men’s Six Nations with a success rate of 90%+ at both the lineout (94%) and scrum (100%).

Italy currently lead the way for most lineout steals (5) in this year’s Championship.

Manuel Zuliani (2) and Michele Lamaro (2) are the only players to have stolen more than once so far.

Ben Earl is set to win his 50th England cap if selected this weekend.

Since Steve Borthwick took charge in 2023, only captain Maro Itoje (2,850 minutes) has played more for England than Earl, who has clocked up 2,620 minutes.

2025: England 47-24 Italy

2024: Italy 24-27 England

2023: England 31-14 Italy

2022: Italy 0-33 England

2021: England 41-18 Italy

15. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 74 caps)

14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)

13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 25 caps)

12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, 2 caps)

11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins, 4 caps)

10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 14 caps)

9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 16 caps)

1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 78 caps) – vice-captain

2. Jamie George (Saracens, 108 caps) – vice-captain

3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 20 caps)

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 100 caps) – captain

5. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 17 caps)

6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)

7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 68 caps)

8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 49 caps)

16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 56 caps)

17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)

18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)

19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 33 caps)

20. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 48 caps)

21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)

22. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)

23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 48 caps)

In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.