England are expected to take the bold step of naming Marcus Smith at full-back for Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji in Marseille.
Smith is on course to make his second start in the position as head coach Steve Borthwick looks to inject pace and creativity into his back line at the expense of Freddie Steward.
A converted fly-half, Smith excelled in the group game against Chile when handed the number 15 jersey and has also starred during a number of cameos.
But Fiji are a step up in opposition, even if they lack the pinpoint kicking game to truly expose his inexperience in the position.
Borthwick names his team to face the Islanders on Friday afternoon and is expected to make another big call at fly-half with captain Owen Farrell likely to replace George Ford.
Ford was named man of the match in the emphatic Pool D wins against Argentina and Japan but the Sale ringmaster appears to have lost out to his rival’s greater impact in defence in what is a nod to the threat posed by Fiji’s power runners.
While the change at chief conductor would represent one of the biggest selection calls made by Borthwick, it is Smith’s presence at full-back that provides a key indication of how the team wants to play at Stade Velodrome.
England wing Elliot Daly said: “Marcus probably shifts in a little bit more to be that second ball player.
“Obviously with him being a 10, he wants to get his hands on the ball and organise on the outside.
“Freddie’s been brilliant since his debut at the back and I think he’s come on leaps and bounds, the last year especially, in the way he attacks.
“I don’t think much changes, but Marcus probably goes in a little bit closer and wants to be that proper second ball player.”
Daly is set to return to the side after being dropped for the tense 18-17 victory over Samoa that rounded off Pool D on a sour note, either on the wing or at outside centre.
If he is picked on the wing, the 31-year-old utility back intends to go hunting for the ball as one of a number of duties.
“I’m on the wing but really I’m there to try and get my hands on the ball, connect with the 10s and the 15s and try to get the ball wide really. Take opportunities when they’re on,” Daly said.
“As a winger now in international rugby you need to be able to do a lot. My role is to try to look for the ball and look for backfield space, feed that into the 10s or use my left foot to put it in there. There’s not one role any more.
“The best thing for me is that because I’ve played in those positions I understand what they need.
“I understand what communication I need to give to those guys to make their job a little bit easier.
“We’ve got a very fluid backline. The way we attack, we’re happy to get anybody on the ball and we just want to get it into space and into the right areas of the pitch.”
England aiming to be one of 'world's best' teams, says Earl
England have aspirations of greatness, asserted Ben Earl as he prepares to face New Zealand in a friendly at Twickenham.
The 26-year-old was optimistic about the progress England had made under Steve Borthwick despite registering two losses at the hands of the All Blacks in July.
England will be seeking revenge after losing the second match of the test in a devastatingly close 16-15 defeat. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso had scored a try to put England ahead after scores had been tied 10-10 at half-time, but two penalty kicks from Damian McKenzie ended their hopes.
Earl, however, believes the heartbreak has given his country an opportunity to develop.
“I think it’s an experience all the big teams go through, you have to go through some heartache to get over the line,” he told TNT Sports.
“It just feels like it’s the evolution of all the top teams, and we are a team that wants to be known as a great team, some of the world’s best.
“So we know the heartache is good for a while, but it’s time to go and do it at the right time. We got a glimpse of it against Ireland last year, and we feel we are due one, and we have learnt some really hard lessons over the summer, so we feel we are in a better place for it.
“We have always said you don’t win easily against us and that’s something we have developed over the last 18 months with Steve’s mindset and the boys getting hold of it, and now I feel it’s time to get over the line in one of these big games.”
New Zealand have won their last three matches, having defeated Japan and secured a double over Australia. They struggled against reigning world champions South Africa, however, as they failed to exact revenge on the Springboks in late summer tests falling to defeat twice.
Undoubtedly, the All Blacks still represent some of the best talent in the world, with Earl expected to line up opposite New Zealand’s superstar Wallace Sititi.
“There’s stardust littered all over the pitch isn’t there? There’s some pretty cool match-ups; it just feels like a game that isn’t going to disappoint,” he said.
England won’t be overawed, though. Instead, they aim to make their west London home a fortress for visiting sides to travel to.
“[Twickenham is] a place where we want to be really, really hard to beat. And we’ve always said in the camp, if you want to beat us at Twickenham you are going to have to be over and above the norm,” Earl said.
Borthwick urges England to 'finish the job' ahead of Autumn Nations Series opener
Steve Borthwick has challenged England to "finish the job" by converting positive performances into victories against the world's top teams.
The 2003 world champions begin their Autumn Nations Series against New Zealand at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
England are aiming to bounce back from narrow defeats against the All Blacks, who prevailed 16-15 and 24-17 in their two previous encounters in July.
Borthwick's side were also narrowly beaten 33-31 by France in their final match of this year's Six Nations, while a last-gasp 16-15 loss at the hands of South Africa denied them a place in the 2023 World Cup final.
And the head coach wants his players to demonstrate their ruthless streak to get them over the line against the bigger nations.
"We've got a young squad," he told TNT Sports. "There's a real feeling of enthusiasm for where they can take this team.
"I think you've seen that evolution with the team, but also seeing there's plenty we've still got to do. It's a brilliant series ahead.
"There was a period where the England team weren't necessarily challenging those teams at the top of the world rankings. Now, we've been able to do that in recent times.
"We haven't won as many games as we wanted to. In a lot of those games, it came to that final quarter where we've been in a position to win it, and we haven't been able to convert it to the result we wanted.
"Now, we're going to make sure we finish the job, and that's been part of the discussion with the players last week."
Borthwick: Supporters' energy and passion will give England 'extra lift' against All Blacks
Steve Borthwick expects the "energy and passion of our supporters" to give England an "extra lift" when they face New Zealand on Saturday.
England welcome the All Blacks to the Allianz Stadium this weekend for their first match of this year's Autumn Nations Series.
Borthwick's side will be playing on home soil for only the third time in their last 16 internationals, and the head coach is pleased to be back in familiar surroundings.
"We're excited for the challenge of playing against one of the best teams in world rugby," he said.
"We'll need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity throughout the match, from the first whistle to the final moment.
"With just two games at Allianz Stadium in our last 15, it's fantastic to be returning to play in front of our home crowd again. The energy and passion of our supporters always give the team an extra lift."
Henry Slade will start at centre, despite playing just 54 minutes of club rugby this season after recovering from shoulder surgery, with Ben Spencer replacing the injured Alex Mitchell at scrum-half.
Ellis Genge is back after missing the summer tour of New Zealand with a calf injury, while there are also starts for Maro Itoje and Tom Curry, with George Ford named on the bench.
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