Owen Farrell has been an ever present feature of English rugby for the past 11 years, but he has been dropped for the first time since 2015 for this weekend's Six Nations match with France at Twickenham.
Ellis Genge will captain the side in the absence of the England skipper, with Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith taking the number ten shirt for the match on Saturday. Farrell has been part of England's three matches so far, with two wins, but will start on the bench as Steve Borthwick shuffles his pack as England begin to look towards the World Cup in the autumn.
Smith was dropped from the training squad last week, with the fly-half being allowed to return to his club side for their annual Big Match at Twickenham against Exeter Chiefs last Saurday. Smith won man of the match in the 40-5 win and has earned his starting spot back having been benched in the wins against Italy and Wales.
ALSO READ: United have better options than Kane
George Ford has also returned to the fold, with the Sale man having been called back in the training squad after just 150 minutes of rugby since his return from injury. Farrell and Ford were the starting playmaking duo as England reached the World Cup final in 2019, an arrangement which both Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick had tried to replicate with Smith and Farrell, but that experiment looks to be over for now.
Why has Owen Farrell been dropped?
Farrell is one of the best fly-halves in the world, with his ability to execute a game plan a key asset for the three-time European Cup winner and three-time Six Nations champion. However, his kicking has been called into question, with just a 48% kicking success rate from the tee in this year's tournament.
There has also been talk that the burden of captaincy has weighed heavily on the shoulders of Farrell, with the Saracens man also having also having to act as the team's main decision maker in his role as fly-half. Courtney Lawes was trusted with the job last year, with the role often being entrusted to forwards, for whom the relationship with the referee is crucial.
Notoriously demanding of himself and his teammates, Farrell was last dropped during England's infamous 2015 World Cup campaign. However, the 32-year-old could well be a useful asset in the final stages of Saturday's match should Smith be able to put England into a narrow lead, with Farrell's superior defence to the 24-year-old Smith.
Such is the way with modern rugby, Borthwick will be keen to emphasise the fact that the decision is just a chance to take a look at different combinations against one of the best teams in the world. France are the defending grand slam champions, but have not been at their fluent best this year and have also not won at Twickenham since 2005.
It would be no surprise if Farrell were to return for the cauldron which will be England's trip to Dublin next weekend. Should England win this weekend and Ireland lose to Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, then Farrell would be in line to start against his father Andy's Ireland side who would be going for a grand slam, with England also having the chance to seal an unlikely title.
England team vs France:
What has Steve Borthwick said?
Speaking after announcing his squad, Borthwick said: “We look forward to welcoming a strong France team to Twickenham this weekend in what will undoubtedly be another exciting encounter in this year’s Six Nations competition. Over the last three years France have built a formidable side and with just three games behind us, this England team has an excellent opportunity to test itself against one of the very best teams in the world, as we progress and build on the foundations we have put in place in the short time we have been together.
“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. Marcus Smith starts at fly half and Dave Ribbans returns to the match-day 23.
“Congratulations to Ellis Genge who will captain the side for the first time. Ellis will lead from the front with the sort of dedication and spirit that now rightly typifies this England team. I know that a sold-out Twickenham will be in full voice, and that our magnificent supporters will make Saturday a very special occasion with a brilliant atmosphere.”
READ NEXT:
