Sports

England set for largest Six Nations personnel shake-up in over a decade following back-to-back defeats

March 3, 2026

England's rugby team is preparing for a major overhaul of its backline ahead of the Six Nations match against Italy, following two consecutive defeats. Head coach Steve Borthwick is expected to make nine changes to the starting XV, marking the most significant personnel shake-up since 2007, with Fin Smith and Elliot Daly likely to earn starting roles.

England set for largest Six Nations personnel shake-up in over a decade following back-to-back defeats

Credit: Gbnews

Key Highlights

Steve Borthwick plans to overhaul England's backline for the match against Italy.
Nine changes are anticipated to the starting XV, the largest since 2007.
Fin Smith is expected to start at fly-half, replacing George Ford.
Tommy Freeman will move from wing to outside centre.
Ollie Lawrence has been ruled out due to injury.

Sources

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

England set for largest Six Nations personnel shake-up in over a decade following back-to-back defeats

Key Highlights

Sources

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