Henry Pollock gets first England start against Ireland
Pollock is set to start at No.8, with Tom Curry also returning to England's back-row
©Photo by Carl Fourie/World Rugby
England have made several changes to their starting lineup for the upcoming match against Ireland, handing a first international start to number eight Henry Pollock following the recent defeat to Scotland.
England Team Selection Vs Ireland
Head coach Steve Borthwick reshaped the back row after the loss, selecting Pollock at number eight, with Ben Earl shifting to openside flanker and Tom Curry starting at blindside. The changes come after England’s long winning run ended with a defeat to Scotland last week.
Backline Changes And Player Returns
Tommy Freeman moves onto the wing while Ollie Lawrence earns his first start of the current Six Nations campaign in the outside centre position. Henry Arundell keeps his place on the left wing after avoiding suspension following disciplinary review. On the bench, Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith have been added as backline replacements.
Maro Itoje 100 Caps Milestone
Captain Maro Itoje will make his 100th appearance for England, becoming only the ninth player to reach the milestone.
"Henry's full of energy, full of character and full of beans and he's already achieved so much in a very short space of time," said Borthwick.
"He's larger than life and each new level you challenge him with, he seems to thrive.
"As a player, he gets people excited, he gets people jumping up and down with joy. He can bring a euphoria to people that not many players can.
"I will challenge him to express himself, be himself, while also bringing the self sacrifice that a team sport needs. Do both.
"He does it wonderfully well and I am looking forward to seeing him do it from the start."
England XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Tom Curry, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Henry Pollock.
Reserves: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Sam Underhill, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.
