Category: Rugby

In a world run by bullies, with sports subsumed by greed, England v Italy – never mind Ireland v France – offers comfort

I recently caught myself telling someone I couldn’t wait for England’s Six Nations match against Italy on Sunday, which seemed a bit, well, enthusiastic. Clearly, rugby fans of all stripes will be salivating at Saturday’s key clash between Ireland and France. It’s a bit less usual to get excited at the kind of historical mismatch which, in the past, I might have watched as highlights, late in the evening, when I already knew the result.

Is it because I expect the action to be good? Uncertain. Italy pushed England close last year and dominated Wales in Rome last month, which salts the dish. The home team need a sizeable win – four tries for the bonus point – to stay in the title hunt, which raises the question of whether Steve Borthwick’s reformatted backline can finally cut loose and run in a cricket score. Or will Italy bounce back from a drubbing at the hands of the French and provide a last-minute Twickenham thriller for the third game running?

While dropping Marcus Smith to the bench makes a sort of sense, Steve Borthwick’s selections still feel largely reactive

It was a beautiful day in Bagshot. The kind of afternoon made for chucking a ball around and contemplating a calculated risk or two. Slightly firmer pitches, the sun shining, a licence to thrill … if ever there was a week made for a player like Marcus Smith to go out and express himself from the start against an apprehensive Italy this was probably it.

So let’s just say the England teamsheet will have landed with a heavy thump in the Smith household and the offices of his agents, Roc Nation. It is only a few weeks since Netflix was projecting the 26-year-old as the poster boy – “the best hair in world rugby” – for their latest fly-on-the-wall documentary, with a shiny new Mercedes G-Wagon to reinforce his profile.

• Borthwick decision is blow to Smith’s Lions hopes
• Dingwall replaces Slade at inside-centre

Marcus Smith faces an uphill battle to regain his England place after Steve Borthwick sought to kickstart his side’s spluttering attack by axing the Harlequins playmaker, dealing a major blow to his British & Irish Lions hopes.

Borthwick dropped Smith for Sunday’s Six Nations fixture with Italy in a one-on-one meeting in England’s hotel bar and has offered him no assurances over his future place in the starting XV with Elliot Daly coming in at full-back. In his favoured position of fly-half, Fin Smith continues and with Fraser Dingwall replacing Henry Slade at inside-centre, Borthwick has picked five Northampton backs and highlighted the cohesion that brings.

• Hooker feared international career could be over
• George replaced by Maro Itoje on eve of Six Nations

Jamie George questioned whether he had an England future after being left hurt by Steve Borthwick’s decision to strip him of the captaincy on the eve of the Six Nations. George said he was blindsided by the England head coach but after receiving advice from his inner circle – including the Saracens director, Mark McCall, Owen Farrell, and his family – he has set his sights on a fourth World Cup, revealing the cricketer Joe Root is his inspiration.

George was installed as captain for the 2023 Six Nations and despite a difficult run of results in his year in charge – England won five of their 12 Tests – he was a hugely popular leader, both within the squad and among supporters.