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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Gerard Meagher

Steve Borthwick to drop Owen Farrell and play Marcus Smith against France

Owen Farrell Steve Borthwick Marcus Smith Ellis Genge Eddie Jones France George Ford England Henry Slade Ollie Lawrence
Owen Farrell misses a kick at goal against Wales.
Owen Farrell, here missing a kick at goal against Wales, has struggled to find his best form. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Owen Farrell is set to be dropped by England for the first time since he was benched at the 2015 World Cup with Marcus Smith expected to win the battle for the No 10 jersey in Saturday’s crunch fixture against France.

In what would be the biggest call of his tenure to date, Steve Borthwick is ready to relegate Farrell to the bench and hand Ellis Genge the captaincy for the first time. Farrell has struggled for form of late – he has turned to Jonny Wilkinson for assistance with his goal-kicking – and with Borthwick seeking a more expansive approach, Smith is set to be given licence to run the show in what is expected to be the only change to the starting XV.

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