Sir Clive Woodward has praised England coach Steve Borthwick for having the "courage" that Eddie Jones lacked and dropping Marcus Smith in favour of Owen Farrell at No 10.
Following his side's dramatic 29-23 defeat at home to Scotland last Saturday, Borthwick has made a big call ahead of another Twickenham clash on Sunday against Italy. With skipper Farrell shifting from his role at 12, Ollie Lawrence will partner Henry Slade in a new-look centre partnership, with Joe Marchant not in the 23.
The debate as to whether the often mercurial Smith and Farrell should be in the same team has raged ever since the young Harlequins star burst onto the international stage in 2021. Jones, who was sacked in December, opted to deploy both in a 10-12 axis, a ploy Woodward has now savaged.
