Ford to start over uncapped Smith as England back experience for Six Nations opener

Danny Care is expected to start at scrum-half and Northampton’s Dingwall should make his long-awaited England debut at inside centre

George Ford looks to have won the starting fly-half role ahead of the uncapped Fin Smith and is set to partner veteran scrum-half Danny Care for England’s opening Guinness Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday.
Telegraph Sport understands that England head coach Steve Borthwick had been planning on starting Marcus Smith, only for the Harlequins playmaker to suffer a calf injury on Monday. That left it as a straight shootout between the 91-capped Ford and Smith, Northampton Saints’ precocious 21-year-old, and experience won out over form. Smith would make his debut if he comes off the bench against Italy.
The midfield will be made up of Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall, who makes his long-awaited England debut at inside centre, and Henry Slade, who missed out on selection for the World Cup. There’s further Northampton representation in the back three in the form of wing Tommy Freeman, alongside full-back Freddie Steward and wing Elliot Daly.
However, Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell looks to have missed out having been suffering with an infected wound in his leg that has prevented him training. He will face a late fitness test on Thursday to see if he can take his place on the bench ahead of Bath’s Ben Spencer. The combination of Care and Ford boast 187 caps at half-back.
In the pack, Ethan Roots, the Exeter flanker who previously represented the New Zealand Maori, is set to make his debut in the back row alongside Sam Underhill and Ben Earl. Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum will pack down in the second row with Joe Marler, captain Jamie George and Bath tighthead Will Stuart set to make up the front row.
If the selection of Ford over Fin Smith shows a conservative outlook by Borthwick, he has shown he is willing to put his faith in untried options in the form of Roots and Dingwall. Roots, a former cage fighter who represented the New Zealand Maori in 2020 but whose father was born in Reading, came on to Borthwick’s radar thanks to Richard Hill, the 2003 World Cup winning flanker and current team manager.
“When we were in Le Touquet and I was walking through the dining room and saw Richard Hill at his computer watching the Premiership Rugby Cup games,” Borthwick said of Roots when announcing his squad for the Six Nations. “He pulled me over and said, ‘come and watch this player for the next two minutes’. I watched him with Hilly, and it was outstanding – the work-rate, physicality he brought to it. Hilly said to me there, ‘track this guy’. If Richard Hill tells me to track a back-row forward, I’m listening. He’s got some brain.”
Dingwall, meanwhile, has been called up to 10 previous squads without having won a cap so far. As he told Telegraph Sport last week, “I am pretty persistent”, and Dingwall has made a striking impression upon the England coaching staff with his form and how he consistently punches above his weight.
“I think he is ready for Test rugby, he has got a really, really smart attacking brain, he can pick a pass, very, very good at the line, but defensively he comes up with some big plays for Northampton,” Kevin Sinfield, the England skills coach, said.
“He always seems to be in and around any break, he is there tidying it up and he is another one who has really impressed this week.
“He is a bit more of a footballer (than Tuilagi) but he can take the line on. He might not be as big as Manu but he is certainly willing to roll his sleeves up and throw himself into the defensive line. He is very good at scheming, his pass selection is excellent. He gives a different option of moving  the ball, but I think he provides that grunt up front. He is not the biggest of blokes but he is one who runs above his weight – he can find a hole.”
Expected England team: F Steward; E Daly, H Slade, F Dingwall, T Freeman; G Ford, D Care; J Marler, J George, W Stuart, M Itoje, O Chessum, E Roots, S Underhill, B Earl