Steve Borthwick is considering dropping Marcus Smith for the Six Nations clash against Italy, in one of the biggest selection calls of his tenure as England head coach.
Telegraph Sport understands that Elliot Daly, Saracens’ utility back, has been pencilled in to start at full-back this Sunday after two impressive cameos as a replacement. Fly-half Fin Smith sat out an opening training session in York last week, but is expected to be passed fit and retain the No 10 shirt, meaning there would be no place in the starting XV for Marcus Smith.
That would represent a significant fall from grace for the Harlequins playmaker, whom Borthwick looked to be building the team around following the 2023 World Cup. He was due to be England’s starting fly-half for the 2024 Six Nations campaign, but picked up a calf injury in a pre-tournament training camp, with George Ford taking the reins at No 10.
Marcus Smith then started eight straight Tests at fly-half, but, despite delivering strong individual performances, England only managed to defeat Japan in that sequence. This led to Borthwick moving Marcus Smith, who told Telegraph Sport before the tournament that he considered himself a specialist fly-half, to full-back following the 27-22 defeat by Ireland in the opening round of the Six Nations. With Fin Smith taking over at No 10, England recorded back-to-back one-point victories over France and Scotland.
However, England’s attack remained clunky against Scotland, who outscored them three tries to one, despite losing the Calcutta Cup clash 16-15, and Marcus Smith has paid the price.
The promotion of Daly is just reward for his strong performances as a replacement. He scored what proved to be the match-winning try against France, after Fin Smith added a conversion, and also added impetus replacing Ollie Sleightholme against Scotland. Daly was not included in the match-day squad against Ireland, with Freddie Steward starting at full-back, but Telegraph Sport understands that Borthwick had considered starting him in the Calcutta Cup match as well.
That nail-biting victory kept England’s Six Nations title hopes alive, which are also contingent on France beating Ireland in Dublin. England host Italy, against whom they have never lost, at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, before a six-day turnaround to the final Six Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff.
