Steve Borthwick puts faith in replacements to do the job against Fiji

It was in August 2023 that Fiji recorded their first ever win over England at the stadium, a 30-22 victory that still stands as a historic milestone. Steve Borthwick’s team, fresh from a 25-7 win over Australia last weekend, will be looking to show just how far they have come since that day.

This week brings change and opportunity. There are seven alterations to the starting XV that beat the Wallabies, with Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje named as co-captains. Itoje starts among the replacements this week, meaning Genge will lead England from the front row. Vice-captains Jamie George, Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Chessum support a leadership group.

Speaking about what he expects from Genge this weekend, Borthwick said, “Lead by example. It's always the way Ellis does, with the intensity of his play, the way he takes the game to the opposition - that's the kind of player and leader he is. He is the kind of leader you really get behind. If I was a player and he was leading the charge, I'd be right behind him."

The head coach has rotated his squad heavily, calling up Marcus Smith, Ollie Lawrence, Fin Smith, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Coles, and Chandler Cunningham-South to start. It’s a line-up that blends experience with new combinations, giving England’s depth a thorough test ahead of back-to-back matches against the All Blacks and Argentina.

The decision to bench Itoje was, Borthwick confirmed, a selection call based on training time rather than fitness concerns. “No, no. Maro had a little knock, nothing to any great extent, but it meant he couldn't train the first half of the week. He trained today and I felt the right thing to do was to prioritise the combination that were training for the full week. That's why I made the decision to put Maro on the bench.”

Injury updates provided news on why Roebuck hasn't been picked for the game. “Tom Roebuck trained Monday, started the session Tuesday, stopped the session with an ankle niggle. We got him to see a specialist, he has a few days of reloading to then reload.

"Hopefully that process goes well and hopefully he will be in the mix next week. Clearly it's tight for that. But hopefully he will be in the mix. Then Freddie Steward, his finger is good. He couldn't train for the first half of the week. He trained today and he's okay.”

Will Stuart, meanwhile, “has trained fully.” Elliot Daly remains unavailable as he continues his recovery, and Tom Curry is named on the bench once again as his workload is managed carefully.

“He hadn’t played since the Lions tour until last week. There was a big temptation to start him this week but I feel the best thing to do is to bring him on, off the bench this week and build that up. I thought he had a big impact in the second half last week and he has had a big impact in training. He is in a really good place,” said Borthwick.

“I can’t praise Tom enough. Would he want to be starting? Yeah, I have no doubt about that. He also understands the role I am asking him to play right now.”

In the backline, the return of Marcus Smith at fullback signals an attacking intent. “There's certainly been a number of alterations to the context of the situation,” Borthwick explained.

“I think with certain injuries and bumps and bruises the players have taken, I think that it's another sign of the depth that the squad has. I think that Fin Smith and Marcus were champing a bit for the opportunity. So I think you see a team that will want to move the ball.”

The head coach also highlighted the return of Ollie Lawrence at outside centre, who replaces the injured Roebuck, with Tommy Freeman shifting back to the wing. “Obviously one of the factors was Tom Roebuck being unavailable for selection.

"I think another one, I was watching Ollie Lawrence closely, I've been watching him, the way he trained last week, the competitiveness he brought, the desire, he wants to be in that team, as all players do. I'm watching a very good player, desperate to play.”

Perhaps the most eye-catching selection is Chandler Cunningham-South at number eight. “He's started the season well, playing in the second row, six or eight. He's been really physical, watching the Premiership I think he's been really physical in the tackle and really physical in the carry and that's what we definitely need.

"We know how powerful the Fiji carriers are and I think having Chandler, who's also one of the most powerful carriers I've seen, we want the ball in his hands.”

Borthwick has been clear that this fixture serves as both a test and a development step for his squad. “It's certainly one of the considerations I've discussed with the team, that you find yourself in major tournaments or World Cup where there are certain changes and adjustments need to be made. I think as the squad is developing, the experience is getting enhanced, and the depth – I think the players understand that.”

Saturday’s clash is a chance to build on the momentum of England’s 2-0 summer series win in Argentina and their composed opening display against Australia. The ghosts of 2023 may linger in Fijian confidence, but Borthwick’s England now look a very different team.