Marcus Smith to start as Steve Borthwick names England side to face Japan
Marcus Smith is favoured over Fin Smith for the No 10 jersey - Getty Images/Koki Nagahama
Marcus Smith has been handed a golden opportunity to cement his place as England’s long-term No 10 as Steve Borthwick moved to ward off a potential mind games assault from Eddie Jones by naming his side to face Japan two days ahead of schedule.
With Jones currently 700 miles away with his squad in Miyazaki on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, Borthwick took the unprecedented move to bring forward his team announcement, which had been due on Thursday, to make a statement of intent ahead of their Test match at the Japan National Stadium on Saturday.
It is the first time that Borthwick has engaged in what could be regarded as a pre-match powerplay, mirroring a move by Wales head coach Warren Gatland, who brought forward his team announcement ahead of their Six Nations match against England this season.
Smith’s promotion to the starting XV, in one of four changes from the side that lost to France in England’s final Six Nations match in March. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who missed the game in Marseille because of a concussion injury, also returns in place of Elliot Daly, who has missed the tour following the birth of his first child.
In the forwards, Sale Sharks loosehead prop Bevan Rodd comes in for Ellis Genge, unavailable for the tour because of an ankle injury while Chandler Cunningham-South makes his first England start on the blindside flank in place of Ollie Chessum, another absentee after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Tom Curry will also make his first return for England since the World Cup in France after being named on the bench despite playing just 35 minutes – a cameo for Sale in their Premiership play-off defeat by Bath - in seven months because of a hip injury.
Aside from the enforced changes, it can be regarded as England’s strongest XV as Borthwick seeks to build on the momentum from the second half of their Six Nations campaign, and establish greater cohesion ahead of the two Tests against New Zealand next month.
Cunningham-South impressed with his physical displays off the bench in the Six Nations - Getty Images/Steve Bardens
Borthwick’s selection includes three of Northampton’s title-winning side, with George Furbank starting at full-back, Tommy Freeman on the wing and Alex Mitchell at scrum-half.
It is the selection of the 30-capped Smith however that is the stand-out selection. The Harlequins player is preferred to Fin Smith, whose form in guiding Northampton Saints to their first Premiership title since 2014 had put him in strong contention to start.
The 25 year-old now has the opportunity to cement his place as England’s play-maker having spent the last four years of his international career operating under the shadow of Owen Farrell and George Ford.
It is the first time since making his England debut in 2021 that he has been regarded as the senior fly-half in the squad. Farrell has stepped back from international rugby and is now ineligible following his move to Racing 92 next season while Ford withdrew from the tour because of an Achilles problem.
It is likely that Smith would have started in any case, given that Borthwick had identified him as England’s starting fly-half for the start of the Six Nations championship only for a calf injury to force him to withdraw from the victory over Italy at the 11th hour.
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Smith also missed the defeat by Scotland but landed the match-winning drop-goal against Ireland at Twickenham as England finished their campaign with a new attacking flourish.
Fin Smith takes his place on the bench, along with Tom Roebuck, the Sale Sharks wing, who will win his first England cap. The replacements are Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Charlie Ewels, Curry and Harry Randall.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of playing Japan at their National Stadium,” said Borthwick.
“Conditions in Tokyo mean we’ll need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity in our performance from the first whistle to the last.
“We will need to be at our very best against an opponent who will want to play fast.”
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