The Red Rose will have a different look in Saturday's Six Nations showdown against France after England head coach Steve Borthwick dropped Owen Farrell from his XV.
The new commander-in-chief has backed up his pledge to pick players based on form and has opted to start Marcus Smith in 'Le Crunch' at Twickenham. Skipper Farrell, 31, faced major scrutiny after a chaotic kicking performance in the 20-10 win over Wales last time out, and Ellis Genge will deputise as captain in his absence.
It's no surprise the most controversial selection of Borthwick's tenure to date drew widespread attention, though the reaction on social media appeared to be largely in favour of the switch. Smith, 24, was recently left out of England's training squad in favour of Sale's George Ford, but the prospect has been recalled after a masterclass display in Harlequins' 40-5 demolition of Exeter on Saturday.
