With England head coach Steve Borthwick suggesting he could make changes to his side to take on Italy, Planet Rugby looks at the leading names to come into the matchday 23.

Borthwick’s side have slumped to two back-to-back heavy defeats against Six Nations rivals Scotland and Ireland, defeats which have seen their title hopes go up in smoke, and has also prompted the head coach to threaten changes within his 23.

“Unfortunately, for two weeks now, we have given ourselves a mountain to climb and given the opposition too many points early in the game, and we’ve not got scoreboard presence,” he told members of the media following England’s 42-21 defeat to Ireland.

“We will be looking closely at that and how I set the team up to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“My job over the next couple of days is to be really clear about that. Look at how I’ve set the team up over the last 18 months that has led to consistently high-level performance and results, and look at that for the last couple of games, and then decide on what needs to change.”

This is something Borthwick has not been afraid to do in the past, either, but this will be a tricky balancing act with his side adopting a new identity on both sides of the ball after recent coaching changes, but there are some players pushing their name up the pecking order.

Fin Smith

His inclusion in the 23 to take on Scotland raised some eyebrows, but you feel this could be his time to come back into the starting XV. While George Ford has almost built England’s kicking game around his style of play, and been very impressive at that, Smith suits the style that new attack coach Lee Blackett has tended to use and could bring about a change in their style as a result. Smith, much like Finn Russell at Bath, likes to get his side playing into space quickly rather than building through phases to work the defence down, leading to a much more expansive style. This was pretty evident in his cameo against Scotland, but was also a big part of England’s strong Six Nations campaign in 2025 too.

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Around his attacking qualities, Smith also has somewhat of a point to prove at this level. This time last year, Smith was the man at 10, with the attack built around him, but he has quickly become Borthwick’s forgotten man after starting just one of England’s past seven Tests and making only one further appearance off the bench. It’s a golden opportunity to get his shirt back.

Theo Dan

It’s been a turbulent start to his Test career, but this again feels like a chance for Theo Dan to really establish himself within Borthwick’s matchday squad and become a regular feature. Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George have held a duopoly over the hooker spots, both starting and on the bench, for what feels like forever now, but with George retiring at the end of next season and Cowan-Dickie also coming towards the backend of his Test career, Dan feels like the next cab off the rank. You just feel he needs to be given a concentrated block of minutes.

And, if there’s a time to bring him in, it’s now. Cowan-Dickie was hooked after just 29 minutes in Saturday’s defeat to Ireland, a move which could suggest his spot is very much up for grabs come this weekend too. Dan is no like-for-like for the experienced British and Irish Lions tourist, but rather built in the Dan Sheehan mould. He’s quick, powerful, punchy and can operate well in the wide channels, and this could be something England turn to against Italy.

Marcus Smith or George Furbank

Another man to fall victim to the Borthwick hook was Freddie Steward, with his yellow card period gifting Ireland real momentum, and he will likely also drop out of the 23 as a result. That then creates a spot at 15, which will fill both Marcus Smith and George Furbank with genuine hope after being left out of the starting XV completely this Championship.

It’s clear that this attack is calling out for a floating playmaker to slot in at 15, and both men would do exactly that. Furbank has performed this role so well for both club and country in recent years, seeing him come in from the Test wilderness as a result after what was a pretty hard debut, and it has seemed like Borthwick is waiting for his man to be fit. That in itself is an issue, though, with the Northampton man having very little gametime under his belt, making just nine appearances since December 2024.

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With his limited minutes, it could open the door for M. Smith to take the jersey this weekend. The Quins flyer has been unwillingly thrust into this weird positional debate, but does possess all the hallmarks of a good attacking full-back, as proved last weekend against Ireland. He was a bright spark on an otherwise rough day at Twickenham, offering creativity and flair to the attack and also stepping up as a playmaker and shifting England’s attack towards the backend of the Test.

Should namesake F. Smith also come into the starting XV, they have already created an exciting attacking axis between them, starting the majority of last year’s Six Nations together at 10 and 15, alongside one appearance in November against Fiji, and crucially, this is a combination that really suits the Blackett system too.

Seb Atkinson or Max Ojomoh

The midfield was heavily targeted by Ireland last time out, which could force Borthwick into a change at either 12 or 13. If that does happen, then Seb Atkinson and Max Ojomoh will be sticking their hands up.

Both men have seriously impressed in their limited Test outings, notably against Argentina in various combinations, and again, you just feel like they need a run of minutes in this Test side to really prove themselves as possible mainstays.

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They both bring a similar style of play with them, too, which will make the decision even harder. Both players offer genuine strike and punch in the carry, particularly post-contact, but are equally comfortable at first receiver, where they can use their playmaking skills. This system does occasionally call for the centre to come up as that primary playmaking option, as Fraser Dingwall has done to good effect, and both Ford and F. Smith enjoy sitting in those deeper pockets of space where they can scan the defence and identify where to play, so having a centre who can ball-play is crucial.

Both men are also rock-solid in defence, which will assist with securing the midfield channel that was so easily broken through last weekend.

Greg Fisilau

England are still in need of an additional ball-carrier in the tight exchanges, and Greg Fisilau is exactly that. Fisilau has quietly been one of the PREM’s strongest ball-carriers in recent years, but has come on leaps and bounds this season as Exeter make him the focal point of their efforts up front.

Crucially, he is made of similar minerals to Tom Willis, the man England are so dearly missing in their squad right now. Like the Saracens ace, Fisilau is just unrelenting in the carry and almost has a desperation to get his hands on the ball and drive through contact, and that is lacking in England’s back-row right now. Borthwick has put his eggs into the explosive back-rower basket, and it has paid off in the past, but now seems the time to add another battering ram into the mix.

Again, this could also help England start to properly build their new era. The Plymouth-native is still just 22-years-old and could very easily be part of this England set-up for a good while if he can impress, and it seems like as good a time as any to give him a go at this level.

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