Maro Itoje has been moved to blindside flank as England coach Eddie Jones made a number of changes to his side to face Italy in the Six Nations Championship at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday.
England lost their competition opener 20-17 in Scotland last weekend, but will be expected to brush aside an Italy side who have shown some recent improvement, but have lost their last 33 Six Nations matches in a row.
Regular lock Itoje started at flank a number of times early in his England career, but has done so just once, against Georgia in 2020, since an autumn international clash with Samoa more than four years ago.
Tom Curry will again captain the team from openside flanker with Alex Dombrandt completing the loose trio at number eight. He replaces Sam Simmonds.
Nick Isiekwe keeps his place at lock but is joined in the second row this week by Charlie Ewels, while prop Ellis Genge is the only member of the front row retained, with Will Stuart and hooker Jamie George coming into the starting XV.
Harry Randall will earn a third cap at scrumhalf, with Marcus Smith retained at flyhalf after Jones had been criticised for taking him off in the defeat by the Scots.
Jack Nowell and Max Malins are on the wings with Freddie Steward at full back. Joe Marchant and Henry Slade make up the centre pairing.
Scrumhalf Ben Youngs will become the joint most capped England player of all time alongside Jason Leonard if he makes it off the bench, while at the opposite end of the scale, loose-forward Ollie Chessum could make his debut.
“We’ve set ourselves the target of playing really well and lighting up Rome,” Jones said in a media release from the Rugby Football Union. “We’ve made some changes and this is the best side to face Italy. We want to start fast and take the game to them.
“It’s been a difficult week, but the players have bounced back well, trained hard and are ready to put on a good performance on Sunday.”
Team:
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 6 caps)
14. Max Malins (Saracens, 11 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 8 caps)
12. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 44 caps) (VC)
11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 35 caps)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 6 caps)
9. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 2 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps) (VC)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 62 caps)
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 16 caps)
4. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 27 caps)
5. Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 4 caps)
6. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 52 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 37 caps) (C)
8. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 5 caps)
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 32 caps) (VC)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 75 caps)
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 48 caps)
19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
20. Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, 10 caps)
21. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 113 caps)
22. George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 78 caps)
23. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 53 caps)
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian Radnedge)
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