Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson has joined the calls for new head coach Steve Borthwick to stop playing Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith alongside each other following defeat to Scotland in their Six Nations opener.
England lost 29-23 to Scotland with Smith starting at fly-half and Farrell at inside centre, a ploy former coach Eddie Jones used extensively before he was sacked. The likes of Sir Clive Woodward, Brian Moore and Stuart Barnes have all questioned whether Borthwick should persist with the Smith-Farrell axis and Dawson has joined the chorus.
The 2003 World Cup winner believes Borthwick has "boxed himself in" by sticking with Farrell as captain and felt he had to pick him against Scotland, even if that meant playing him at centre instead of fly-half.
