Itoje Back in Starting XV
England captain Maro Itoje is back in the starting lineup for Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Scotland in Edinburgh. Itoje, who came off the bench in England’s 48-7 win over Wales, will start in the second row.
Luke Cowan-Dickie starts at hooker, while Jamie George, who captained England in Itoje’s absence, is among the replacements. Fly-half Fin Smith also joins the bench, replacing Marcus Smith.
England Aim to Retain the Calcutta Cup
After four consecutive losses to Scotland between 2021 and 2024, England reclaimed the Calcutta Cup with a narrow 16-15 victory in London last year. Head coach Steve Borthwick praised Scotland’s strength and talent, highlighting their dangerous backline, including Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Darcy Graham, Blair Kinghorn, and Duhan van der Merwe.
Borthwick said, “Scotland are a top-quality side. If they bring their phase game, our defence has to be perfect.”
Team Changes and Key Players
Up until last weekend, Itoje had started every England Six Nations game since 2020. He missed the start of training camp in Girona to attend his mother’s funeral in Nigeria and played as a second-half substitute against Wales. He will partner fellow Lion Ollie Chessum at lock, with Alex Coles on the bench.
England’s backline remains unchanged. Henry Arundell keeps his place on the left wing after a first-half hat-trick against Wales. Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman continue in midfield despite Ollie Lawrence being available. Tom Roebuck starts on the right wing after scoring on his return, with Freddie Steward at full-back and George Ford and Alex Mitchell as the half-back pairing.
England Team vs Scotland:
Steward; Roebuck, Freeman, Dingwall, Arundell; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Chessum, Itoje, Pepper, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, Pollock, T Curry, Spencer, F Smith
England Focused on Murrayfield
Despite a 12-match winning streak, England aim to break a six-year drought at Murrayfield. Number eight Ben Earl emphasized the team’s focus on reversing past failures rather than looking ahead to Paris.
Earl said, “No one is talking about Paris in our camp. We have got to right some wrongs.”
Freddie Steward’s Comeback
Full-back Freddie Steward relishes the trip to Scotland after being dropped in 2024 in favour of George Furbank. He admitted the experience taught him resilience and maturity. With Furbank facing injuries, Steward has reclaimed the No 15 shirt, having previously appeared in 28 consecutive Tests and featuring in summer and autumn tours.
