Overview
- England unveil an entirely new starting backline, with Tommy Freeman shifted to outside centre, Elliot Daly at full-back, Cadan Murley and Tom Roebuck on the wings, Seb Atkinson at inside centre and Ben Spencer at scrum-half.
- First-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell (hamstring) and centre Ollie Lawrence (knee) are ruled out for the rest of the championship.
- George Ford, Freddie Steward, Fraser Dingwall and Henry Arundell are left out, with Marcus Smith and Jack van Poortvliet providing the two backs on a 6–2 bench split.
- Up front, Jamie George starts at hooker, Alex Coles partners captain Maro Itoje in the second row and Guy Pepper returns to the back row, while Ben Earl is set for his 50th cap at No. 8.
- Multiple outlets characterise the selection as England’s most sweeping Six Nations shake-up in over a decade, with the revamped side heading to Rome to face an improving Italy that has never beaten England.