England face France in the Six Nations, with Steve Borthwick making three changes to his starting lineup. Fin Smith replaces Marcus Smith at fly-half, Tom Willis starts at No 8, and Ollie Sleightholme replaces Cadan Murley on the wing. France also make two changes, with Matthieu Jalibert coming in for the suspended Romain Ntamack and Damian Penaud returning from injury.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has made three changes to his starting XV for Saturday's Six Nations clash against France at Twickenham. The most notable switch sees Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith come in to start at No 10, with Marcus Smith moving to full-back. This tactical tweak aims to create a dual playmaking axis against the formidable French team.
Saracens back-row Tom Willis replaces Ben Earl at No 8, shifting the latter to openside flanker and relegating Ben Curry to the bench. Tom Curry, Willis' twin, retains his position at blindside flanker. Completing the changes, Ollie Sleightholme earns a starting spot on the left wing, replacing Cadan Murley who is sidelined due to a foot injury. The bench also sees two fresh additions: hooker Jamie George and utility back Elliot Daly return to the squad. However, full-back Freddie Steward drops out entirely. The rest of the starting lineup remains unchanged from last week's 27-22 defeat to Ireland in Dublin. Tommy Freeman joins Marcus Smith and Sleightholme in the back-three, while the centre pairing continues with Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade. Alex Mitchell starts at scrum-half, and the front-row comprises Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and Will Stuart. Captain Maro Itoje and George Martin form the second row. 'It's an incredible fixture to be involved in,' said Borthwick. 'We're looking forward to being back at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in front of our home supporters, for what I am sure will be a great game of rugby.' Meanwhile, France head coach Fabien Galthie makes two changes to his team that triumphed over Wales in their opening match. Matthieu Jalibert steps in at fly-half for the suspended Romain Ntamack. Ntamack received a yellow card for a high tackle on Ben Thomas during France's 43-0 victory against Wales, which was subsequently upgraded to a red card following a review. Damian Penaud returns from a toe injury to take his place on the wing, replacing Theo Attissogbe
Six Nations Rugby England France Steve Borthwick Fin Smith Marcus Smith Tom Willis Ollie Sleightholme Romain Ntamack Matthieu Jalibert Damian Penaud
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