England head coach Steve Borthwick has made three personnel changes following their defeat to Scotland, ahead of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against Ireland. Notably, Henry Pollock will make his first England start at number eight, while Ollie Lawrence returns to the starting XV at outside centre.
Pollock, 21, a British and Irish Lion, has earned seven caps as an impact substitute but is set for his first start, reshaping England’s back row. Ben Earl shifts to openside flanker, Tom Curry comes in at blindside, and both Sam Underhill and Guy Pepper are named on the bench.
In the backs, England have ended their experiment with Tommy Freeman at outside centre, repositioning him on the right wing. Lawrence takes the number 13 spot, making his first Six Nations appearance this year, alongside Henry Arundell on the left wing. Arundell remains after avoiding suspension despite receiving two yellow cards and a send-off against Scotland, having already scored four tries in the Championship.
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The bench features a balanced mix of six forwards and two backs, including the return of Marcus Smith as the backup playmaker. Jack van Poortvliet also makes his tournament debut on the bench, preferred over Ben Spencer.
Captain Maro Itoje will earn his 100th England cap in what promises to be a landmark match at Allianz Stadium. Borthwick praised Itoje’s consistency and leadership, emphasizing the excitement and challenge ahead against Ireland.
The starting lineup for England is: F Steward; T Freeman, O Lawrence, F Dingwall, H Arundell; G Ford, A Mitchell; E Genge, L Cowan-Dickie, J Heyes, M Itoje (capt), O Chessum, T Curry, B Earl, H Pollock.
Replacements: J George, B Rodd, T Davison, A Coles, G Pepper, S Underhill, J van Poortvliet, M Smith.