Italy have never beaten England in 32 tests but may feel they have rarely had a better chance with home advantage, their own form on the rise and England's experimental line-up. Coach Borthwick's Reaction"All of us have been really disappointed with the performances in the last two games," Borthwick told reporters. "I say to the team that we have certain standards and I'm going to hold them to those standards. Back Line Changes and Injury UpdatesBorthwick has responded with wholesale changes in the backs with Tommy Freeman the only player retained from the Ireland loss, but he moves from the wing to outside centre. "To reach 50 caps for England speaks volumes about Ben’s professionalism and the consistency of his performances," Borthwick said.

Source: The Times March 04, 2026 02:52 UTC