Well, you didn't see this England team coming.
Steve Borthwick has made bold selections in this Six Nations, but this squad for Wales on Saturday features three fly-halves, four openside flankers, one specialist centre and a total of six personnel changes across the 23 players from their win over Italy last Sunday. And all that with a potential Six Nations title on the line.
This selection shows England are confident of victory in Cardiff, and the players are aware they need to secure the bonus-point triumph if they are to stand any real chance of lifting their first championship title since 2020. Given where they started the campaign with that defeat to Ireland, this would be some turnaround.
Borthwick's team selection is focused on playing at pace, and he's unapologetic in his goal come Saturday evening. He wants to put England in a position where they can win the tournament, if Scotland do them a favour in Paris.
"We want to do it by playing the way that we want play, by playing fast, by getting the ball to our players with strength and pace and athleticism," Borthwick said. "That's exactly how we want to play this week."
But he's done that by picking a re-jigged team.
On Wednesday, Borthwick talked through each of his selections, and the reason behind why he's made this raft of changes. First up: the whole selection has been influenced by the absence of Ollie Lawrence. He injured his Achilles in the opening flurries of the win over Italy on Sunday and will undergo surgery next week. His absence means England need a new outside centre and several other switches. To cover Lawrence's physical attributes and go-forward, they've moved Tommy Freeman into the centres. Marcus Smith was dropped to the bench for the Italy game but he's back at fullback.
Tom Roebuck hasn't featured in the Six Nations, but he starts on the wing. Elliot Daly started at fullback against Italy, moved to outside centre after nine minutes when Lawrence was injured, and starts on Saturday on the other wing.
That's three different positions in six days. Elsewhere, Ben Curry starts at openside, Tom Curry at blindside and Ben Earl at No. 8. With Henry Pollock in line to make his debut off the bench, that's four natural opensides in the team. Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie comes back in for Jamie George and George Ford is on the bench.
So why has Borthwick done this, and what does it mean for Saturday?
Why are Daly and Roebuck on the wings, and Smith back at fullback?
Borthwick is wary of Wales' kicking game. He's seen how Matt Sherratt has changed things up with Wales, dropping Gareth Anscombe a little deeper and launching high, cross-field kicks in a bid to win the battle of the air. Roebuck, who will win his fourth cap on Saturday, is well renowned for his aerial ability.
"I think the high ball work is a point of difference for him," Borthwick said. "His other point of difference is his carry. I want him to get as many carries as he can and I want him to carry as strongly and aggressive as he can."
Daly is also solid under the high ball. Their inclusion on the wings allows Smith to ignite the backline from fullback as a second playmaker in attack.
"Elliot Daly's played really well, whether that's been from the bench to 15, the bench to the wing or into the centres at different times," Borthwick said. "So we moved him to the wing and put Marcus at 15. You start looking at that back division with Tom Roebuck coming on the right wing and you see pace, a left foot option, guys that find space really well. It's a combination I'm looking forward to seeing play on Saturday."
It's brutal for Ollie Sleightholme who has six tries in eight Test matches. "He's done really and continues to do really well," Borthwick said of the call to drop Sleightholme. "We're blessed with having plenty of options there, which is a good position to be in."
So Freeman's now a centre? But what happens if one of the centres gets injured?
Freeman has started and scored in all four championship matches this year from the wing, but England have long talked about him as an option at No. 13. He has played there for Northampton, and midway through Test matches has switched there, but Saturday will be is his first start there. "There is no doubt we need to build depth at centre," Borthwick said. "I feel that now is the right time to build options as we look ahead."
That means it's a Northampton Saints spine to the backline, with Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith at half-back, and Fraser Dingwall and Freeman in the centres. But if injury strikes in the centres, with scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and fly-half George Ford on the bench, what happens then? Well, one long-term option is Fin Smith. Borthwick says he will continue to weigh up Fin Smith as an inside centre, and said there is "definitely a possibility" of all three fly-halves (Marcus Smith, Fin Smith, Ford) being on the pitch at the same time Saturday.
That would likely see Ford at 10, Fin Smith at 12 and Marcus Smith at 15.
Will it be Fin Smith at No. 12 if Freeman or Dingwall get injured?
Not yet. "[Back-row] Ben Earl will be the person covering that, given that versatility," Borthwick said. "As you know we have been having that option for a long period of time. I was watching them all train this morning, watching Ben Earl in the centres this morning, and he was outstanding."
Why has he gone with effectively four opensides in the team?
This back-row started against Ireland, but the inclusion of Henry Pollock on the bench is new. Borthwick says the "speed and athleticism" the back-row bring will be key at the weekend, while he is clearly wary of the threats fetchers Jac Morgan and Tommy Reffell pose there, if they're picked.
"I want the team to play this week with bravery and speed on the ball. We want them to play big," Borthwick said. With Tom and Ben Curry, Borthwick says he sees them push each other to even higher levels when they're both on the field. "They somehow find something that I didn't think it'd be possible for them to find," Borthwick said. "Tom Curry's had some challenges and we'd all agree right now, he's playing better than ever. Ben's got a point difference within his game. One of his points of difference is his ability on the ball, his link play, his attacking game.
"I think the more he's been in the England shirt now, and the more he's been around the squad, is I'm seeing more of his attacking game come through."
And then there's Pollock. He has been one of the breakthrough players of the season for Northampton. He is a lightning quick back-row and will make his debut if given his chance off the bench on Saturday. Pollock is one of the latest graduates from this successful Under-20 side and will be the first of several to break through in the next year or so.
"[Pollock] wants the ball in his hands," Borthwick said. "That is absolutely clear. He wants to go and make a difference. So, the message to him this weekend is a very simple one; go get yourself around the ball, go on the field and get yourself around the ball. And I'm really looking forward to seeing him do that. He's got incredible pace and power."
Alongside Pollock on the bench are Chandler Cunningham-South and Tom Willis. That's plenty of back-row cover, but not so much for the second-row. If Maro Itoje or Ollie Chessum go down, then it'll be Cunningham-South or Willis stepping in.
"The most important thing is the attitude of which we play," Borthwick said. "I want this team to be aggressive... and we play with pace, because that's where the strength of our team is."
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