Steve Borthwick will give his misfiring back line another shot against France, keeping faith with each starter from the defeat by Italy. However, to fix England’s poor lineout and add heft in Paris, he will install Ollie Chessum at blind-side flanker.
Chessum was dropped to the bench for the 23-18 loss in Rome, as Alex Coles and Maro Itoje combined in the second row. England persisted with the strategy of deploying three traditional open-side flankers in their back row, with Ben Earl at No8, Sam Underhill at No7 and Guy Pepper at blind-side flanker. Underhill came in for Tom Curry in Rome, when the Sale Sharks flanker was injured in the warm-up. Curry has subsequently returned home and will not feature in Paris.
In response, Borthwick has turned to Chessum, whom he last picked in the back row on England’s previous visit to France in 2024, when England lost a thrilling contest 33-31 in Lyon.
The 25-year-old has been used primarily as a lock for club and country since then. He only played at No6 once for Leicester Tigers over the course of the 2024-25 campaign; in an 80-12 defeat by Toulouse on the cusp of last season’s Six Nations. He has not started in the back row since he lined up for the British & Irish Lions in a midweek game against the Brumbies last summer.
Pepper will start at No7 in Paris, with Underhill dropping to the bench
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The Times understands that Pepper will shift across to open-side flanker with Underhill returning to the bench, where he had been due to begin in Italy before Curry was withdrawn. Borthwick will keep a six-two split of forwards.
Chandler Cunningham-South, only used for five minutes at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, will remain among the replacements. Borthwick has continually praised the hard-carrying Harlequins player, explaining that he will be trusted to cover lock as well as the back row.
Having suffered a first ever defeat by Italy in Rome, England have publicly doubled down on their kick-first strategy. As part of that, Borthwick is set to stick with his whole back division: Ben Spencer and Fin Smith at Nos 9 and 10, Seb Atkinson and Tommy Freeman in the centres, Cadan Murley and Tom Roebuck on the wings and Elliot Daly at full back.
That means there is no reprieve for George Ford, or a first start of the championship for George Furbank.