Steve Borthwick made three changes to the England squad ahead of Saturday’s game against Ireland, starting Emmanuel Faye-Waboso and selecting Alex Mitch Earl and George Martin. Less than a year ago, Fay Waboso was playing in the National Division One for Taunton Titans, but he has impressed in his two appearances off the bench so far and has gained recognition on the left wing .
According to the Guardian, Mitchell returned to half-space after recovering from a knee injury, while Martin moved into the wing, Ollie Chessum moved to the wing, and Ethan Lutz Roots) quit the team. George Ford retained his place in the first half, with Marcus Smith on the bench and making his first Championship appearance since recovering from a calf injury. Fin Smith, who has been battling injury since last week, has withdrawn from the squad, while Alex Dombrandt, who is on the bench, is set to make his first appearance of the year. Six Nations.
Cardiff-born Faye Waboso, 21, was on the radar of Wales ahead of the Six Nations but chose England and was handed his first Test opportunity in the last outing against Scotland. The 21-year-old succeeds Elliot Daly on the wing, a choice that echoes Borthwick’s decision to select Henry Arundel on the wing against Ireland in Dublin last year.
Mitchell’s return is a boost given his impressive performances against Italy and Wales. He missed the Scotland game but slipped straight into the No. 9 shirt, with Danny Care on the bench. If the 37-year-old comes on as a substitute, he will make his 100th appearance for the national team.
Martin missed the games against Italy and Wales with a knee injury, but he came on as a substitute against Murrayfield and will do the same against Ireland, who are on the verge of back-to-back Grand Slams. It was Martin’s first start since his impressive performance against South Africa in the World Cup semi-finals.
quick guide
Six Nations 2024: England v Ireland
exhibit
England
15 George Furbank (Northampton) 
14 Emmanuel Fay-Exit 
13 Henry Slade (Exeter) 
12 Ollie Lawrence (Bath) 
11 Tommy Freeman (Northampton) 
10 George Ford (for sale)
9 Alex Mitchell (Northampton) 
1 Ellis Genge (Bristol)
2 Jamie George (Saracens)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester City) 
4 Maro Itoye (Saracens)
5 George Martin (Leicester City) 
6 Ollie Cheetham (Leicester City) 
7 Sam Underhill (Bath) 
8 Ben Earl (Saracens) 
Substitutes: 16 Theodan (Saracens) number 17 Joe Marler (Harlequin) 18 Will Stewart (Bath) 19 Chandler Cunningham South(Harlequins) 20 Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins) twenty one Danny Kyle (Harlequin) twenty two Marcus Smith (Harlequin) twenty three Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Ireland
15 Hugo Keenan (Leinster)
14 Calvin Nash (Munster)
13 Robbie Hanshaw (Leinster)
12 Bundee Aki (Connaught)
11 James Lowe (Leinster)
10 Jack Crowley (Munster)
9 Jamison Gibson-Parker (Leinster)
1 Andrew Porter (Leinster)
2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
3 Tadeg Furlong (Leinster)
4 Joe McCarthy (Leinster)
5 Tadhg Beirne (Münster)
6 Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
8 Kellan Dorries (Leinster)
replacement
16 Ronan Kelleher (Leinster) number 17 Cian Healy (Leinster) 18 Finley Bellham (Connacht) 19 Ian Henderson (Ulster) 20 Ryan Baird (Leinster) twenty one Jack Conan (Leinster) twenty two Connor Murray (Munster) twenty three Ciaran Frawley (Leinster)
Elsewhere, Borthwick has resisted making changes and Smith has not played since Harlequin’s Champions League win over Ulster on January 20 and has been forced to sit on the bench. George Furbank, who opened the scoring against Scotland and had a mixed performance, also retained his place at full-back. Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence remain in the centre, with Tommy Freeman on the wings.
Up front, Ellis Genge, captain Jamie George and Dan Cole continue to sit in the front row, while Maro Itoje joins Martin (Martin) locked in position together, with Ben Earl and Sam Underhill remaining at No8 and open side flankers respectively. Joe Marler, Theo Dan and Will Stuart provide backup in the front row, while Roots, Chandler Cunningham-South Cunningham-South), Kyle (Care), Marcus Smith (Marcus Smith) and Daly (Daly) completed the substitutes.
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“As always, we selected the 23 players that we thought were the strongest and gave us the best chance of winning the game,” Borthwick said. “There is no doubt that Ireland are one of the best teams in the world at the moment and we have to be at our best against them on Saturday. We are ready for another classic Six Nations game at Twickenham fully prepared.
“I would like to pay special tribute to Danny Kyle, who will win his 100th game at Twickenham on Saturday. Danny has been a great servant of British rugby and reaching this milestone is a monumental achievement. An incredible achievement for someone. He is a fantastic player and always puts the team first. I am sure Saturday will be an exciting and unforgettable day for Danny and his family as the team prepares Extremely proud of his accomplishments.”