Borthwick follows Rassie in his latest Six Nations move

01/28/2025 09:32 AM

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattering.

That statement is so true when it comes to England head coach Steve Borthwick and World Cup-winning Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Not only did the England head coach Steve Borthwick decide to name his team on a Tuesday, he also deployed a 6-2 bench split for his team's Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday - just like Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus.

Borthwick selected 6 forwards and 2 backline players on the bench for the clash in Dublin.

Theo Dan, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South and Tom Willis are the forwards on the bench, while Harry Randall and Fin Smith are replacements for the backline.

Maro Itoje will captain England for the first time, becoming the 136th player to do so since Frederick Stokes led the team in 1871. He will be supported by vice-captain Ellis Genge.

Saturday's Test match will be the 143rd meeting between England and Ireland since their first encounter in 1875.

In the front row, Luke Cowan-Dickie is named at hooker alongside Genge at loosehead prop and Will Stuart at tighthead. In the second row, Itoje partners George Martin. The back row sees Tom Curry on the blindside flank, his twin brother Ben Curry at openside and Ben Earl at No.8.

In the halfbacks, Alex Mitchell starts at scrumhalf with Marcus Smith at 10. The midfield sees Henry Slade named at inside centre with Ollie Lawrence at 13.

In the back three, Cadan Murley will make his England debut on the left wing, with Tommy Freeman on the right and Freddie Steward at fullback, rounding off the starting line-up.

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"We're looking forward to the challenge of facing the tournament favourites," said Borthwick.

"We know it'll be a tough contest against a team that's very familiar with each other. We'll need to work tirelessly and maintain our discipline from the first whistle to the last.

"England versus Ireland in Dublin is a huge occasion, and we'll be ready to face it head-on."

England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Ben Curry, 6 Tom Curry, 5 George Martic, 4 Maro Itohe (captain), 3 Will Stuart, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Tom Willis, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Fin Smith.

Date: Saturday, February 1
Venue: Dublin Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 16.45 (16.45 GMT)
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (New Zealand) & Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)