Jamie George has made a surprise return to England’s Six Nations squad ahead of their clash with France at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
The 34-year-old hooker, recently replaced as captain by Maro Itoje, was left out of the initial squad after suffering a hamstring injury during Saracens’ defeat to Castres last month. However, he has now fully recovered and will rejoin Steve Borthwick’s squad, marking the only change from the group that fell to a 27-22 defeat against Ireland in Dublin.
France, who dismantled Wales in their opening match, will arrive in London full of confidence, having dished out England’s heaviest-ever home defeat on their last visit to Twickenham.
England squad for France
Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Ted Hill (Bath Rugby), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints), George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Tom Willis (Saracens).
Backs
Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers).
Editors Picks:
Four players England should drop – and who Steve Borthwick should replace them with
For England, it’s a sixth defeat in seven matches under Borthwick and a baptism of fire for Maro Itoje in his first game since replacing Jamie George as captain.
With a crucial clash against France at the Allianz Stadium up next, here are four changes Borthwick must consider.
#1. Freddie Steward
Telegraph 4/10: "His worst nightmare of facing a scrum half in open space recurred as Gibson-Park did him dirty as badly as Grant Williams had. England need more than a safety blanket at full back."
Replacement: George Hendy
#2. Cadan Murley
Planet Rugby 4/10: "Had a great moment early on when he scored a debut try but a bit rabbit in the headlights after that. Made a couple of errors no Test player should ever really make, quite frankly. Murley should be backed next weekend as you can see the talent and potential, but it was a big learning curve in Dublin"
Guardian 5/10: "Quickly snaffled a try on debut, but later invited pressure on teammates twice with a serious lack of composure in defence."
Telegraph 4/10: "After what set to be a dream debut, scoring a try after eight minutes, Ireland turned his life into a nightmare, forcing into some horrible naive errors."
Evening Standard 5/10: "Got off to a flyer on his debut by scoring inside the opening 10 minutes. Had a tough second half, though, and was shaky on kick defence. Did assist Curry’s try."
Replacement: Tom Roebuck
#3. Alex Mitchell
Planet Rugby 5/10: " Kicking was good in the first half and he brought some good tempo to the game, but Mitchell struggled to control the game after the interval."
Telegraph 5/10: "Done all ends up after showing Lowe the outside for Gibson-Park’s try. A few other uncharacteristic errors but then England’s attack stopped functioning when he went off."
The Sun 5/10: "Returning scrum half brought calmness but the missed tackle on Lowe, just as Smith was getting ready to return, was critical."
Replacement: Harry Randall
#4. Ben Earl
Mail Online 5/10: "Dropped restart after England's early opener but one strong ruck clear-out showed his menace. Made way for Saracens team-mate Tom Willis."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "The third openside in the England back row, he was eclipsed by what the Curry twins achieved and gone by the 56th minute. While a show of wheels helped lead to the penalty that got England 10-5 up just before the break, some rearguard work wasn’t up to scratch. For instance, his soft knock-on at the 7-0 restart. There were also too many missed tackles."
Replacement: Tom Willis
PREDICTOR GAME:
You’ll have to be red-hot to get 15/15 in this 2010s Six Nations quiz
The Six Nations Championship, Europe’s premier rugby tournament, has delivered unforgettable moments and showcased some of the game’s greatest players.
From stunning tries to epic battles, the 2010s were packed with rugby brilliance.
Can you name the players who lit up the tournament during this golden decade? You’ll need to be on top form to get 15/15—are you up for the challenge? Let’s kick off!
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