England set to deploy experienced half-back duo for Six Nations opener
- Both Northampton’s Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell are out for the match with injuries
- Northampton center Fraser Dingwall is on course for a debut in the number 12 shirt
- The pack should have a more settled feel, with Joe Marler lining up at loosehead
England will field 189 Test cap halfback experience in Rome on Saturday, with Danny Care and George Ford set to join forces for the Six Nations opener against Italy.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has been forced to make a hasty rethink of the squad after Marcus Smith was ruled out of the match with a calf injury and Alex Mitchell’s participation was seriously questioned.
The Northampton scrum-half is on a drip after a leg wound became infected – and has been unable to train at the national team’s camp in Girona, northern Spain, this week.
While Mitchell will be given as long as possible to recover to take his place among the England replacements for the clash with the Azzurri, it is understood that 37-year-old Care is likely to take his place in the starting XV.
The Harlequins veteran – who will make his 97th international appearance – is expected to form a creative alliance with Ford, the Sale half who will win a 92nd Test cap.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has been forced into a hasty rethink of the squad after Marcus Smith was ruled out
It looks like Northampton center Fraser Dingwall will make his debut in the number 12 shirt
That combination will give England plenty of pedigree and knowledge, amid a revamped line-up with several rookies.
On the back line, Northampton center Fraser Dingwall is on course for a debut in the number 12 shirt – in a new midfield axis alongside the recalled Henry Slade – while another Saint, Tommy Freeman, will start on the wing and clubmate. Fin Smith will take a closer look at Ford as the uncapped, back-up fly-half.
Up front, another newcomer – Exeter flanker Ethan Roots – is set to move straight into the XV on blindside, having made a huge impression on Borthwick with his hard work for the Chiefs this season.
Elsewhere, the pack should have a more settled feel, with Joe Marler lining up at loosehead prop ahead of Ellis Genge and Bath’s Will Stuart packing in on the other side of captain Jamie George, at tighthead.
If Mitchell is ruled out, Ben Spencer would act as reserve scrum-half, while young Cardiff-born Exeter wing sensation Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – who opted to represent England rather than Wales – is in contention for a bench role.
Borthwick opts for a new line-up with several rookies
Marcus Smith has been ruled out of England’s Six Nations opener against Italy
Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell is a serious doubt for the rest of the Six Nations series
England will field 189 Test caps with halfback experience in Rome on Saturday