For the first time in what feels like forever, the noise surrounding the England team and head coach Steve Borthwick is entirely positive.
England finally ended their Tier 1 rut with a dramatic 26-25 win over Six Nations title favourites France, and now look to make that two from two against Scotland.
But, England have not had any luck against their neighbours to the north in Borthwick’s tenure, with Scotland winning their past four meetings and will look to make it five Calcutta Cup victories on the spin.
Without further ado, here is our predicted England team to face Scotland this weekend.
15 Marcus Smith
It could be another week of frustration for Marcus Smith, who will more than likely be deployed at fullback again. He had a mixed bag of it against France, however we did get to see a glimmer of what he can do as an attacking option at fullback with him leading the charge for metres across the game. He will be tested under the high ball though, with Scotland likely to put up more competitive kicks than France.
14 Tommy Freeman
But, with an aerial wizard Tommy Freeman alongside him, Smith should be fine. Freeman comes into the Scotland clash off arguably his best performance in an England shirt to date, and will be needed to hit those heights once again this weekend. In attack, the Northampton ace was exactly where his team needed him at exactly the right time, and his connection with Sleightholme, Mitchell and Fin Smith was a huge catalyst for their late surge.
13 Ollie Lawrence
Just having a blinding Six Nations so far, as he seems to have finally been unleashed in his chosen way. Lawrence has become a real focal point of the England attack this Championship, particularly when they can get speed of ball and are on the front-foot, and that could come in very handy against a Scotland side who struggled to manage Ireland’s similar usage of Robbie Henshaw last time out. This is also a huge chance for him to face Lions competitor Huw Jones.
12 Henry Slade
Looking like hitting his best form in an England shirt, and if he grabs this game by the scruff of the neck and drags his team over the line it could prove he’s fully back. Slade is an absolute Rolls Royce of a back, with all the silky flicks and tricks, and his playmaking skills are really coming in handy to then get the best out of the attack. He and Lawrence finally seem to be clicking too, which is a sight to behold when it works.
11 Ollie Sleightholme
Whilst he played a nice part in that Saints axis, Ollie Sleightholme probably needs a better time of it this weekend to really rubberstamp his spot in the team. To be fair, last weekend’s Test was his first for some time after returning from a shoulder injury, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt because he has been exceptional over the past year.
10 Fin Smith
After his Man of the Match display and knocking over the winning conversion, Borthwick simply cannot drop him. He seemed to get something out of the attack that had been missing for a while, a sense of calmness, and that was pivotal in getting the win. Smith got the attack purring whilst still maintaining that necessary connection and composure to repeatedly break through and take chances. On top of this, he grew into the game as it went on and shone in those clutch moments. If he has another stormer, he could nail down the shirt.
9 Alex Mitchell
Whilst the headlines will be dominated by Fin Smith, the connection he has with Alex Mitchell is probably what allowed him to flourish. The pair just seem to have a telepathic connection with one another, as you would expect with a club half-back pairing, but that just got the best out of a previously rigid attack. Their desire to play fast, yet composed, attacking rugby really helped bring the best out of the backline around them, and again that club connection also ensured they knew exactly what the other would do at all times, which is so key for a Test half-back combination.
8 Tom Willis
Just looked every inch a Test starter last weekend, and should keep his place this time out too. Willis brought some serious beef to the pack, and crucially acted as that tight ball carrier that England have long been crying out for. Scotland also struggle to cope with players of his ilk, so it could be another great chance for him to show what he can do at this level.
7 Ben Earl
A much-improved display last weekend, after what had been a fairly below-average run of form from the Saracens man. Just got through so much work on both sides of the ball, and with a lot of the carrying load taken off his shoulders, he was able to have those spectacular line breaks we all know he can have.
6 Tom Curry
After his exceptional showings, you cannot take Tom Curry out of the back-row. He is just running his blood to water for his side this Six Nations and crucially is proving he can be a regular Test feature again after tough spells out with injury. This game is also a huge chance for him to leapfrog Lions competitor Rory Darge as well.
5 George Martin
His knee injury is a minor concern, but George Martin should be fit to start against Scotland this weekend. The lock has become England’s chief defensive enforcer this Six Nations but is starting to get a little bit busier on the other side of the ball as each Test moves on. Again, Scotland have shown they can crack under pressure from players like Martin, so he could be a good weapon to ruin their attack.
4 Maro Itoje (c)
Has hit new heights since being given the captaincy, and will surely start this weekend as he seeks the first silverware of his reign. He has formed a nice connection with Martin in the engine room too, but has really stood up when needed in the lineout and around the park too and that should help get England over the line.
3 Will Stuart
His improvements in the scrum have been lauded a lot by this publication, but this will be the first real sign of them against a fearsome Scotland unit. Stuart is also becoming increasingly busy around the park, which again will be needed when his opposite number is Zander Fagerson.
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
Despite the impact of Jamie George from the bench, you’d imagine Luke Cowan-Dickie will retain the starting shirt this weekend. His abrasive nature on both sides of the ball will be key in winning the battle up-front, and again he just adds that extra bit of beef to proceedings.
1 Ellis Genge
Is hitting new heights this Six Nations, and this is a massive chance for him to push himself up that Lions pecking order. Like Stuart, he has really improved his scrummaging, but it’s his work around the park that could define the game with him coming up against Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Elliot Daly
The bench will likely be kept intact from last weekend, including unused substitutes Chandler Cunningham-South and Harry Randall. Jamie George and Elliot Daly added that experience Borthwick has been after in those final exchanges, and elsewhere the impact of Fin Baxter, Ollie Chessum and Ben Curry helped change the momentum of the game too.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/england-predicted-team-v-scotland-steve-borthwick-rewards-clutch-fin-smith-as-telepathic-pairing-is-backed-to-get-the-attack-to-flourish
