Curry twins set to start as England face Ireland

England Rugby head coach Steve Borthwick has unveiled his team early for the highly anticipated Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday in Dublin.

Among the key selections, Tom Curry and Ben Curry will make history by starting together in England’s back row for the first time. Cadan Murley, the Harlequins winger, will make his international debut.

The squad features a mix of experienced players and fresh faces. Marcus Smith retains the No. 10 jersey, continuing as fly-half after starting England's last seven matches. Despite speculation about a potential switch to fullback, Smith remains at fly-half, with Freddie Steward named at No. 15.

The inclusion of Murley on the wing fills the gap left by the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, marking an exciting debut for the Harlequins star. Luke Cowan-Dickie returns as the starting hooker, while Ben Earl completes the back row alongside the Curry twins, starting at No. 8.

The lineup reflects England’s intent to reset after a challenging 2024, where they won just five out of 12 Tests. Under the leadership of new captain Maro Itoje, who replaces Jamie George, England will look to make a strong statement in Dublin.

The squad faces notable absences due to injuries. Jamie George, Sam Underhill, George Furbank, and Feyi-Waboso are all sidelined.

However, Borthwick welcomed the return of Alex Mitchell and Ollie Chessum, both of whom had missed the November Tests. Mitchell is expected to partner Smith at half-back, while Chessum takes his place on the bench.

The starting XV features Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and Will Stuart in the front row, with George Martin partnering Itoje in the second row. The back row comprises Tom and Ben Curry alongside Earl. The backline sees Mitchell and Smith at half-back, Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade in the centres, and a back three of Murley, Tommy Freeman, and Steward.

The bench includes Theo Dan, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Willis, Harry Randall, and Fin Smith. For Willis, it marks an opportunity to add to his solitary cap earned in a World Cup warm-up against Wales.

Ahead of the match, Borthwick acknowledged the challenge posed by Ireland, who enter as tournament favourites: "We're looking forward to the challenge of facing the tournament favourites.

"We know it'll be a tough contest against a team that's very familiar with each other. We'll need to work tirelessly and maintain our discipline from the first whistle to the last.

"England versus Ireland in Dublin is a huge occasion, and we'll be ready to face it head-on."

England XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Ben Curry, 6 Tom Curry, 5 George Martin, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Will Stuart, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge,

Reserves: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Tom Willis, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Fin Smith