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.
"Big decision but was needed," wrote one Twitter user, while another chimed in that it was "about time" the Saracens playmaker was axed. The announcement wasn't without sympathy for the veteran, however, as one fan empathised his axing "had to happen" before discouraging disrespect toward the three-time British and Irish Lions tourist.
Others voiced displeasure with Borthwick's decision and questioned whether Smith will have the same defensive impact as Farrell, who made 17 successful tackles in the recent win over Wales. Six Nations titleholders France will also welcome back star centre Jonathan Danty, who will pose a huge running threat as first receiver.
Farrell has played much of his rugby in recent years at centre despite his fly-half roots, donning the No. 12 jersey for their famous 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand (and the final defeat to South Africa). However, that same combination hasn't worked since Smith has replaced Ford in at No. 10, while Ollie Lawrence is starting to make the inside centre role his own.
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Farrell hasn't been truly 'dropped' from an England starting XV since Ford led a win over Fiji in their opening game of the 2015 World Cup. As for the captaincy, Borthwick will have plenty of faith in Genge, who skippered his former Leicester Tigers to the Premiership title last season.
”The players selected to face our visitors are again a reflection of what I see to be the right balance of personnel for the challenge we face in this game," said the boss at Thursday's squad announcement. "I go through the game plan we wish to play, the tactics we'll use and the strengths of the opponents. For this reason it's the right decision to start Marcus."
The head coach went on to praise England's selection of "three world-class outside halves" (including Ford) but that starting with Smith made for "the right blend." Les Bleus are chasing their first win at Twickenham since 2005, where victory could give them a route back to title contention after losing in Dublin.
