My England XV to face Ireland – no Spencer and Smith at 15 ...Middle East

As he now ponders selection for next week’s kick-off of the 2025 Six Nations, away to the back-to-back champions Ireland, there is a little leeway in Borthwick’s recent comments on “pace and athleticism” to envisage a few alterations; or it may be he simply believes the existing players can do more in that area.

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When England played and beat Ireland at Twickenham last March, they were driven forward by relatively quick ball delivered at the ruck, second-row George Martin and centre Ollie Lawrence carrying hard off short passes, and Marcus Smith coming on from the bench to nail a winning drop goal.

So, if we look at a likely team in the image of “Steady Steve” to run out at the Aviva Stadium, the accent is on players we have seen under Borthwick and who are in the squad currently preparing in Spain.

It is much less so at scrum-half, where Raffi Quirke and Ben Spencer were called in to train in Spain, with Jack van Poortvliet out injured and Alex Mitchell on the sidelines nursing a knee niggle.

The assumption is Mitchell gets fit for Dublin, as Borthwick has predicted he will.

My England team to face Ireland

Backs:

15 Marcus Smith 14 Tommy Freeman 13 Ollie Lawrence 12 Fraser Dingwall 11 Cadan Murley 10 Fin Smith 9 Alex Mitchell

Forwards:

1 Bevan Rodd 2 Theo Dan 3 Will Stuart 4 Maro Itoje (c) 5 Ollie Chessum 6 Ted Hill 7 Ben Earl 8 Tom Willis

Bench:

16 Curtis Langdon 17 Ellis Genge (vc) 18 Asher Opkou-Fordjour 19 George Martin 20 Ben Curry 21 Raffi Quirke 22 Oscar Beard 23 Tom Roebuck

The rangy Leicester Tigers forward also missed all of the autumn, and he has played just 54 minutes – last week – since October.

He also fits the preference Borthwick has shown in a lot of these top-level tussles for a big No 6 who adds a third jumper in the line-out.

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There don’t appear to be the resources for a 6-2 split in the replacements now, although Borthwick may think differently.

There has been conjecture over Steward moving to the wing, as he has done at times for Leicester and England, but sense too in starting with two regulars in the position, in Tom Roebuck and Tommy Freeman – not least if Ollie Sleightholme is unavailable, having missed his last three club matches with a hamstring problem.

Has Ford’s time gone? Will England want the 32-year-old Elliot Daly’s Test experience and good form, even though he didn’t get a look-in during the autumn? Will they ask Oscar Beard to cover centre and wing, or promote Cadan Murley?

With everything up for public debate at this stage, how about the claims of other players and combinations and a more fluid style, in what we might call a “give it a shake-up, Steve” 23?

If Freeman can police the right-hand touchline for the kicks from Ireland’s James Lowe, England could cap Murley in a combination Freeman recently described as “aerial ability and wheels”, in reference to his club pairing with Sleightholme at Northampton.

That fly-half who thinks “tackle” is something you take on a fishing trip is consigned to history; the wing who looks the other way at every ruck will not be selected.

Fin Smith could pull the strings from fly-half against Ireland (Photo: Getty)

Langdon played for England A in the autumn and is in the squad for the injured George, and he belongs with several in a “give it a lash 23” about whom you’d have to say “OK, it’s Ireland away, but if you’re good enough and it works for the team, go for it”.

Dan was skittling opponents for Saracens against Castres, and in this line-up he can try it against the Irish from the off.

As ever, the shirt number debate has another side to it, expressed to The i Paper by former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio as “I like square pegs in square holes” – or “use a player in his best position”.

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Of course, that means Marcus Smith would have to be sprung from full-back, either from the start or with plenty of the match left. Hmm.

Tom Willis is Saracens’ week-to-week No 8, able to be more direct on both sides of the ball from static situations and set-pieces, than his clubmate Earl, who has been Borthwick’s man of late.

England will probably need at least one Curry to lock horns with Ireland’s jackalling maestro Tadhg Beirne, but a shot for Hill is deserved, if risky.

Returning to the backs, stick Quirke is on the bench and also trust him to give at least 30 minutes if things aren’t going well.

But Dingwall distributes like a dream, if England believe they can get on the front foot.

There again, that might happen to Borthwick’s first-choice line-up, too.

Either way, England must plan for a repeat of the joys of last spring, with perhaps a dash of something beyond the predictable.

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