HALFBACKS
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Moving on into the halfbacks, and we could well see a change-up after an unforgettable few moments courtesy of Marcus Smith. The Harlequin received an immense ovation when he ran onto the pitch, as he replaced George Ford to steer England to victory in the latter stages. This reaction was only surpassed when Smith slotted the winning drop goal, as the roof nearly came off a frenzied Twickenham Stadium.
Coupling this selection, is the factor that Ford had an underwhelming performance against Ireland from his high standards. The Sale Sharks man was wayward from the tee, as he failed to convert George Furbank’s try and sent a couple penalty attempts off the mark. The argument remains as to whether Smith is best utilised from the bench for England, as there was no denying the electric tempo lift he brought upon his involvement.
England could well utilise his scintillating skillset from the off against France. Les Bleus like to also utilise the ‘jouer’ style in their attack, and Smith’s selection could fight flair with flair, as apposed to a more regimented approach under Ford’s lead. We have opted for Alex Mitchell to retain his scrum-half spot, after a strong outing against Ireland. We put Danny Care on the bench, who could well make his 101st cap after racking up the century in the win over Andy Farrell’s men.
FRONT ROW
1. Ellis Genge
2. Jamie George
3. Dan Cole
Once again, we believe that the best option for England going into the final round of the Six Nations is to retain their starting and replacement front row. Permitting that Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Dan Cole remain match fit throughout the week, they are likely to keep their places in the starting XV. George is Borthwick’s most straight-forward selection from the entire squad, given his ability to rally his side to return to winning form, against no less than the number two ranked side in the world.
Ellis Genge and Joe Marler have been neck-and-neck for the starting spot, yet there was no denying the impact that Marler had from the bench. The Harlequin is arguably England’s best scrummaging option, and was pivotal in maintaining his side’s consistency up-front against Finlay Bealham and Cian Healy. We’ve opted for Genge to start, under the orders of emptying the tank through early breaks, and embody the rampaging monikered ‘Baby Rhino’ that England fans know that he can be.
Age proves to have no impact on Dan Cole, who continues to keep hold of the England three shirt. The Leicester Tigers man put in a solid effort up front, and neutralised the power game of Andrew Porter when the two sides packed down at scrum-time. Cole chewed up the hard yards in the loose, and grafted for the yards when he got his hands on the ball. Will Stuart can wait on the touch-line for an inclusion around the 55 minute mark, with the Bath man equally adept to bring the forwards battle home, and will be chomping at the bit for a run-on.