Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent

Simon: Is international rugby really the place for Tommy Freeman to be learning his trade at outside centre? I think he needs at least another season playing week in week out at 13 for Saints.

Chris: Hi Simon. That’s a great question, and one we've debated on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

Freeman has played there plenty for Northampton but you're right, it's a different level here. Ultimately, the England management see Freeman as a potentially world-class number 13. He might not be there yet, but the hope is he will be by the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Harlequins wing Cadan Murley had to wait nine international camps for his England debut against Ireland in last year's Six Nations.

Despite scoring early, Murley had a tough day and also picked up an injury.

The 26-year-old bounced back to earn three caps last summer, scoring against Argentina.

Murley further impressed for England A last month, bagging a try against Ireland XV.

The reward is another Six Nations start.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent

Rob: Does this new line-up mean England are going to continue to go to the air but do it with different personnel, or do you think they are likely to play more of a open running game?

Chris: I would expect them to still play a kicking game given Roebuck has been strong there and Daly is also good at retrieving high balls. But they also need to vary their tactics and, crucially, they have to be way, way more clinical with the ball in opposition territory.

Tom Roebuck is back on the right wing for England.

The 25-year-old came into the tournament having not played since breaking a toe against New Zealand in November.

Despite initially needing "a few more days" to regain full fitness, an injury to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso prompted a start for Roebuck against Wales.

Then, after a rare off day against Scotland a week later, Tommy Freeman returned to the right wing to face Ireland.

Steve Borthwick said three games in a row was a big ask for Roebuck, who will hope some time off will help him rediscover his fine November form.

He is a proven performer under Borthwick.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent

Bruce: No George Furbank is surprising. Is he still not fully fit? Or has he dropped out of the picture as first choice?

Chris: Hi Bruce. I must admit I expected Furbank to start as he would have really helped knit England's attack together and sort out their bluntness in the opposition 22.

Steve Borthwick would have pored over his performance for Northampton over the weekend and his movement in training.

But Elliot Daly is experienced and a very natural footballer, so he will add a lot to the side.

Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent

Theo: Is Atkinson coming in to provide a bit more power at 12? It seems to be a good way to counter the strength of Ignacio Brex at the opposite 12, while also bringing in great ball-carrying ability.

Chris: Hi Theo. Of England’s options at number 12, Atkinson is considered the best athlete and regularly dominates fitness testing.

While Fraser Dingwall is a very intelligent player and Max Ojomoh has so much potential, Atkinson will definitely bring some extra physicality to number 12.

With Fin Smith - who is solid defensively - and the sizeable Tommy Freeman at 13, it is a strong midfield trio. The concern is cohesion with the centre combo never having played together.

Injury ruled Seb Atkinson, who was a standout performer against Argentina in July, out of England's November Tests.

He has always been rated very highly by Steve Borthwick.

Two former Worcester Warriors players will line up together at 10 and 12.

Fin Smith and Seb Atkinson, who are both 23 and were born in May 2002, came up through the ranks together at Sixways.

In September 2022, Worcester went into administration. Smith moved to Northampton Saints, while Atkinson joined Gloucester.

After impressing for the senior team as 19-year-olds, the 10–12 combination was tipped for big things at Worcester.

It now returns on the international stage for the first time.

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Henson
BBC Sport

Steve Borthwick is a more funky selector than he is often given credit for.

He has switched between three fly-halves in little more than a year, brought both wingers and flankers into the centres, and has shuttled between various back-three configurations, building an arsenal of different options.

However, completely gutting the backline - even with some of the changes forced upon him - would be his most radical call yet.

Cohesion, often a buzzword last year, has been abandoned for new faces and untested combinations. Seb Atkinson and Tommy Freeman have not played a minute of rugby together as a centre partnership.

A home loss to Harlequins back in February 2022 was the only occasion that Atkinson and Fin Smith started a frontline game for Worcester's first team together, before heading their separate ways.

So, is it justified? England's performances in the past two Six Nations games - which lacked both tactical agility and basic accuracy - were nearly unrecognisable from the team that had amassed 12 successive wins in their previous dozen games.

England's starting fly-half:

• Owen Farrell - 2023 Rugby World Cup (once back from suspension)
• George Ford - 2024 Six Nations
• Marcus Smith - 2024 Tests v New Zealand, 2025 autumn internationals
• Fin Smith - 2025 Six Nations (starts four out of five games)
• George Ford - 2025 Tests v Argentina and USA, 2025 autumn internationals, 2026 Six Nations (starts first three games)

Time to stick with one?

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Pennyhill Park

As a marker to how radical a rejig this, it is the most changes England have made to a starting line-up between Six Nations matches since the tournament expanded in 2000.

That is a lot of new combinations to bed in, away from home, against a buoyant Italy.

Henry Pollock, 21, made his first Test start against Ireland, but reverts back against Italy to his regular bench role.

Thumbs up if that is the right call. Thumbs down if he has to start.

Guy Pepper comes back into the back row.

It was only injury that stopped Elliot Daly from likely featuring in the Tests against Australia for the British and Irish Lions.

He was on fire at full-back last summer.

The 33-year-old, who has 74 caps and started the 2019 Rugby World Cup final at full-back, certainly has the experience.

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Care
Former England scrum-half on BBC Rugby Union Weekly

Elliot Daly's got a big left boot.

He's got a great aerial game as well. He's absolutely been there and done it before in the biggest of Test matches.

Now we've got the team, send us your questions for BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones.

Send them in by tapping a message into the Get Involved box that is towards the top of this page (mobiles) or off to the left (landscape screens).

England have shredded their backline and made a total of 12 changes - nine personnel switches and three positional shifts - to their starting line-up.

Fin Smith starts at fly-half, while Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson comes in at 12 for his third cap, and George Ford and Fraser Dingwall - crucial parts of England's all-conquering autumn campaign - are both left out of the matchday squad entirely.

Henry Arundell also loses his place, with Harlequins' Cadan Murley and Sale's Tom Roebuck preferred on the wing, while Elliot Daly comes in for full-back Freddie Steward, who was replaced before half-time in the 42-21 defeat by Ireland last time out.

With Ollie Lawrence injured, Tommy Freeman shifts to outside centre from the wing, and Ben Spencer is preferred to Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half as first-choice Alex Mitchell misses the rest of the tournament with a hamstring problem.

England: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Pepper, Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Chessum, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith.

Team news incoming....

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Pennyhill Park

Image source, Getty Images

England football manager Thomas Tuchel has been into England's camp today to talk to his rugby counterparts.

It follows a string of speakers from other sports who have come in to share their insights with Matt Weston, double Olympic gold-winning skeleton racer, visiting yesterday and tennis star Emma Raducanu brought in over the autumn.