England have revealed Marcus Smith could miss the entire Guinness Six Nations because of the calf injury that has ruled him of at least Saturday’s opener against Italy and Wales a week later.
A clearer picture over Smith’s fitness will emerge next week, but in the meantime veteran George Ford has been installed at fly-half for the Stadio Olimpico showdown with Fin Smith deputising from the bench.
Fin Smith is one of five uncapped players in the matchday 23 and should all of them get time on the field, it will be the highest number of new caps awarded in a single match since Stuart Lancaster’s first game in charge in 2012.
Centre Fraser Dingwall and flanker Ethan Roots are included in the starting XV while Smith, back row Chandler Cunningham-South and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso feature on the bench.
In a boost to England, Alex Mitchell has recovered from a leg wound to take his place at scrum-half, but the player who was expected to partner him at half-back faces an anxious wait to see if he will be involved at all over the coming weeks.
“Marcus will go back to England today (Thursday) and have further investigations later this week. He won’t be available next week,” Borthwick said.
“We’re not sure exactly when. Hopefully he will play in the latter part of the Six Nations, but it will be a number of weeks. We’ll know more next week.”
Mitchell’s immediate prospects of building on becoming first-choice scrum-half at the World Cup were thrown into doubt when he felt unwell as a result of the infected wound he took into England’s camp in Girona, preventing him from training fully until Thursday morning.
“Our medical team took great care of him over the weekend and at start of the week to get the infection under control and he looks brilliant,” Borthwick said.
“He played a lot of minutes for us during the World Cup and has played a lot of time for his club, so he is match sharp and ready to go. He looked fantastic in training today (Thursday).”
Experienced faces such as Ford, Joe Marler and Maro Itoje are present throughout the 23, but the rare inclusion of five debutants indicated the post-2023 World Cup rebuilding phase is under way, even if some of the picks were forced on Borthwick.
Dingwall starts at inside centre having been included in nine previous England squads without winning a cap, giving him the opportunity to prove he is the solution to the team’s problem position.
Although lacking the raw power of the injured Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence, the 24-year-old is a classy runner who is comfortable at 12 or 13.
Roots, a former jiu-jitsu champion who qualifies for England through his father, represented the Maori All Blacks but having left New Zealand in 2021 he has proved a hit at the Ospreys and now Exeter.
If Finn Smith, Cunningham-South and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso join them on the field, it will be an injection of fresh faces not seen for 12 years.
“Each one of those guys has earned his place in the matchday 23. Each one of them is an exciting young player,” Borthwick said.
“I didn’t think I’d be naming a 23 with five debutants. I’ve asked when the last time was England named a 23 with five new caps in it!”
Brook labelled as 'best in the world' by England centurion Root
Joe Root lauded Harry Brook as the world's best batter after England completed their series victory away to New Zealand on Sunday.
Ben Stokes' tourists coasted to a 323-run victory in the second Test against New Zealand, sealing an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
It looked like England could be in trouble in Wellington after slipping to 43-4 in the first innings, only for Brook's 123 and 66 from Ollie Pope dragging their side to 280 all out.
Brook now has seven centuries in just 10 Tests away from home, the most by any batter in his first 10 such outings outside of their home country.
Yorkshire and England team-mate Root believes there is no player better than Brook at present.
"Just been a great week, from the position we were in, to then manage to win the game by day three, just shows how well the boys played," Root said.
"That partnership from Popey and Brooky, who is in my eyes the best player in the world at the minute.
"He's got it all, he can absorb pressure and put it back on you. He is destructive against both pace and spin, to manage those conditions exceptionally well and play some great counter-attacking cricket."
Root compiled a 130-ball 106 in the second innings as Stokes' side hammered home their advantage, with Jacob Bethell adding 96, four more than opener Ben Duckett managed.
England great Root now has 36 centuries in Tests, the joint-fifth most by any batter, alongside India's Rahul Dravid.
He brought up three figures with a trademark ramp over New Zealand wicket-keeper Tom Blundell from the bowling of seamer Will O’Rourke.
Root admitted the shot was somewhat pre-meditated, having seen the hosts alter the field.
"It wasn't [at first pre-meditated], and then they brought third man up," Root added.
"I was like it's the new ball, they are more likely to go length than short. It's worth a gamble, it's worth the risk!"
Bethell has proved doubters wrong, claims Stokes
Jacob Bethell has proved his critics wrong with his superb performances with the bat against New Zealand, so says Ben Stokes.
After hitting the winning runs in the first Test, new boy Bethell plundered 96 in the second innings of the second match.
The 21-year-old, who came into the team after Jordan Cox suffered a thumb injury, fell just short of what would have been his first professional century in what is only his 22nd first-class appearance.
And with the decision to place Bethell at three having come under scrutiny before the series started, Stokes feels the youngster has swiftly set about showing just what an exceptional talent he is.
"I'm pretty sure there were a lot of doubters about the role we brought him into for that first Test match," Stokes told BBC Sport.
"You've got a young lad with so much potential and so much talent, why not let him go out there and expose himself to Test cricket at its toughest?
"I was devastated for him to not get that three figures. I said to him: 'It's only four runs, isn't it?'
"His response was: 'Yeah, but it would have been flair if I smacked that through the covers to bring it up.'
"I think he's proved a lot and proved why we rate him so highly."
Stokes does not feel Bethell's performances have provided him with a headache when it comes to selection, though.
"No, I don't see it like that," he said.
"If it hadn't gone well for him in those first two Test matches, that wouldn't have changed anyone's mind in our dressing room of him as a player."
Joe Root plundered his sixth Test century of 2024 in England's second innings, matching the joint-highest total of tons in a calendar year by an England player.
Stokes then took 3-5 with the ball to skittle through New Zealand's tail, after Tom Blundell had offered some resistance for the hosts on Sunday with a brilliant 115.
"In this Test in particular, on day one we were 43 for 4 to be here on the winning side on day three is quite phenomenal," said Stokes.
"We got bowled out in fifty overs (54.5) but we had 270 runs on the board which was a good score on that day one-wicket, and then we obviously had time left with the ball to be able to make some inroads.
"To score 270 and take five wickets at the end of day one really set this game up.
"We back ourselves to be able to go out there and change games and we feel that there needs to be a bit of impetus put into the game, particularly with the bat.
"As a bowler you want to be able to plonk it on a length and plonk it onto the top of off stump over and over again. But sometimes when a batter is brave enough to take you on and knock you off your length, it's very hard to commit to still doing that."
New Zealand captain Tom Latham, meanwhile, credited England's dominant display, and handed particular praise to Harry Brook, who scored 123 in the first innings and 55 in the second.
"It's the pressure they are able to put you under, especially with the bat," said Latham.
"I think on day one it was offering enough for our bowlers and the way Harry played in that innings was outstanding.
"Credit where it's due. The way he played puts you under pressure from ball one. He played some incredible shots that you don't necessarily see from other teams around the world."
Blundell's ton fruitless as England seal series win
Tom Blundell's scintillating century was not enough for New Zealand as England sealed a series win by wrapping up a 323-run victory inside three days.
England resumed play at Basin Reserve on Sunday on 378-5, with Joe Root on 73.
The tourist's former captain plundered his way to a 36th Test century, which he brought up with a reverse scoop from Will O’Rourke (1-104), who at least gained a measure of revenge when Root edged through to Blundell in the same over when on 106.
Ben Stokes left himself unbeaten on 49 as he declared with England on 427-6, setting New Zealand a daunting 583 to win.
Stokes' decision swiftly paid off, with Devon Conway (0), Kane Williamson (four) and Black Caps skipper Tom Latham (24) sent packing within the first 10 overs.
Brydon Carse (2-53) dismissed Rachin Ravindra (six) in the 14th over, bringing Blundell to the crease.
After being dropped when on a duck, Blundell offered resistance, smashing his way to a fifth Test ton in rapid time, though Daryl Mitchell (32) and Glenn Phillips (16) fell around him.
Four of Blundell's five sixes came from Shoaib Bashir's bowling, but his stand came to an end when he edged the spinner through to Ben Duckett, who palmed the ball up to take the catch at the second attempt.
That England breakthrough came in the 49th over of New Zealand's second innings, and it was game over by midway through the 55th, with Stokes rattling through the hosts' tail to finish with exceptional figures of 3-5, his best in over two years in a Test.
Now 2-0 up in the three-match series, England will aim for a whitewash when the final Test begins in Hamilton next week.
Data Debrief: Root ties for tons
Root has now scored six Test centuries in 2024. No player has ever scored more than six tons for England in one calendar year, with Root himself having previously done so in 2021. Denis Compton - 1947, Michael Vaughan (2002) and Jonny Bairstow (2022) have also struck six hundreds in one year for England.
His efforts helped England claim their biggest win in terms of runs against New Zealand, while this is their first series win in the country since 2008.
The Black Caps, meanwhile, have now lost their last two Tests at Basin Reserve, having previously gone on a seven-match unbeaten run at the venue. It is the first time New Zealand have lost back-to-back matches in the longest format in Wellington since 2010.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
