'A lightning rod for excitement' - Pollock gets start

Henry Pollock has been handed his first Test start as Steve Borthwick makes three changes to his starting XV for England's Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

The 21-year-old is named at number eight alongside fellow British and Irish Lion Tom Curry, who has featured off the bench in the past six Tests, and Ben Earl in the back row.

Centre Ollie Lawrence returns after missing out on selection for Saturday's crushing defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield.

Tommy Freeman, who started the first two rounds at outside centre, shifts back to the right wing.

England struggled in the air against Gregor Townsend's side - which had been an area of strength during a 12-game winning run that was ended on Saturday.

Tom Roebuck loses his spot on the right wing after struggling to assert himself aerially.

However Henry Arundell, who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards - the second for taking a player out in the air - is given a chance to redeem himself on the left wing.

The 23-year-old has scored four tries in the opening two rounds and was cleared to play after being cited for the incident.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has been clear about his desire to use Freeman at outside centre, but the 24-year-old is arguably England's best player at winning the ball in the air and that skill have been missed.

Fit-again Lawrence, who missed the opening game through a knee injury, was always likely to play a role in this Six Nations after a standout performance against New Zealand in the autumn, with his powerful ball carrying a point of difference.

England's attack failed to click against Scotland and Lawrence's strengths would have also been a factor in forcing the Freeman switch.

"It is tough. When I came in the autumn [internationals], Tommy moved to 13 and there was a bit of 'that's another person I am competing with'," Lawrence told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

"I didn't expect it. I potentially knew it might happen, I didn't think it would happen straight away and I got my opportunity in the second game and then the start of the Six Nations Tommy went back to 13.

"It's not frustrating but it's one of those things where you are knocking on the door and you have to wait your turn sometimes."

Captain Maro Itoje will earn his 100th cap, becoming the ninth England man to reach the milestone.

Half-backs Marcus Smith and Jack van Poortvliet both missed out on selection last week and are named on a 6-2 bench spilt.

Ireland, like England, have one win from their opening two games in the tournament, making the fixture pivotal for both sides to keep their championship hopes alive.

Northampton Saints' Pollock has been deployed as an impact replacement for all seven of his caps under Borthwick.

Having toured with the British and Irish Lions last summer, the 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young players in world rugby and now gets an opportunity to show if he can be as effective as a Test starter.

"He is a lightning rod for excitement, and his international career only started not even a year ago, yet he has become an icon on and off the pitch," former England wing Ugo Monye told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

"People love him and gravitate towards him.

"When he was warming up, people were going, 'Henry, look, it is Henry!' They were buzzing. That does not typically happen with a back-row player anywhere in the world ever - a winger, 10 or nine maybe."

Although the selection is not a surprise given another impactful display off the bench, the decision to move Earl to openside flanker is an interesting call.

Bath team-mates Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill, who are both named on the bench, have started the past four Tests together on the flanks but they struggled to impose themselves at Murrayfield.

A straight swap with Lions duo Pollock and Curry looked the more obvious switch.

Earl has once again been one of England's best players at number eight - a position he tends not to play for his club Saracens because of Tom Willis.

Pollock's past five starts for Northampton Saints have come at number eight, with Andy Farrell playing him across the back row during the Lions' tour of Australia.

In those five starts for Saints, Pollock has scored six tries, which shows a trend as to where in the back row he has the most impact.

England: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Arundell; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Itoje, Chessum, T Curry, Earl, Pollock

Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, Pepper, Underhill, Van Poortvliet, M Smith

Itoje, who made his international debut in 2016, missed the start of England's Six Nations training camp in Girona to attend his mother Florence's funeral in Nigeria.

His illustrious career is set to take in a 100th cap against Ireland - a fitting fixture given it will be his 14th appearance against Farrell's side, his highest tally versus any nation.

"First of all he is an incredibly towering presence in English rugby," Borthwick told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

"Talk about icons and superstars of the game, he is tremendous and I am so delighted for him to achieve his 100th cap this weekend."

His England career has been a model of consistency, playing 80 minutes in 30 successive Six Nations matches until he started on the bench in round one against Wales this year.

Overall, 95 of his previous 99 caps have been starts - a remarkable record of both fitness and performance.

Carries, tackles, turnovers, line-outs - Itoje does it all. And England will need their leader to be at his best if they are to bounce back.

Itoje has won more than twice as many turnovers as any England player since 2023, while he consistently shows up in attack and defence.

The 31-year-old has hit 1,247 defensive and attacking rucks during this period - a staggering 515 more than any of his team-mates.