A flash red Ferrari was parked directly outside England’s team hotel shortly before Steve Borthwick unveiled his lineup to face France. It was tempting to see it as a symbol of everything the home side would love their reshuffled weekend team to be: fast, striking and a far cry from the battered Skoda they have metaphorically been driving around this season.
In tossing the playmaking keys to Northampton’s precocious Fin Smith, with Marcus Smith shunted into the role of keen-eyed back seat driver, that is essentially the ambition this week. Up the pace, keep the accelerator down for longer than they did in Dublin last Saturday and see where it takes them. Both on paper and in the car park the superficial appeal is obvious.
