Steve Borthwick has moved Leicester Tigers’ Ollie Chessum into a heavier back row in an attempt to reverse England’s losing run in the final Six Nations match against France in Paris on Saturday.
Chessum lines up alongside Guy Pepper and Ben Earl in a rejigged breakaway trio, which is going back to a tactic of a big No 6 that Borthwick had used earlier in his three-year stint as England coach, but had gone away from more recently.
A lighter-weight back row was tried and badly failed in the record home defeat by Ireland a couple of weeks ago, and Borthwick has clearly decided more heft and reliability in the carries, set-pieces and breakdown is needed to combat France’s title favourites.
It was a change recommended here in The i Paper, but there are no other alterations to the starters who were beaten by Italy in Rome last Saturday as England try to rally from three straight defeats.
Elliot Daly stays at full-back in preference to George Furbank, and fly-half Fin Smith and inside centre Seb Atkinson are given another chance to build what could be a long-term combation for England, for the 23-year-olds who came through together as academy youngsters at Worcester Warriors.
Tom Curry is injured while Chessum reclaims the position he last occupied for England away to France in 2024 – an exciting 33-31 French Six Nations win in Lyon.
Alex Coles is named alongside captain Maro Itoje in the second row although there is the facility for Coles and Chessum to mix and match roles.
Pepper is well accustomed to wearing No 7 for his club Bath but it’s all about balance and not being easily battered backwards by Les Bleus.
With Borthwick keeping a 6-2 split on the bench, the forwards there include three regular back-rowers in Chandler Cunningham-South, Sam Underhill and Henry Pollock, plus Marcus Smith as fly-half and full-back cover.
England XV to face France
Stade de France, Saturday 14 March, kick-off 8.10pm
15. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 75 caps)
14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 11 caps)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 26 caps)
12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, 3 caps)
11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins, 5 caps)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 15 caps)
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 17 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 79 caps) – vice-captain
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 109 caps) – vice-captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 21 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 101 caps) – captain
5. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 18 caps)
6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 34 caps)
7. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 50 caps)
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 57 caps)
17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 14 caps)
18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)
19. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 21 caps)
20. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 49 caps)
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21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 9 caps)
22. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 49 caps)
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