Itoje confident in Fin Smith's first England start at fly-half

England captain Maro Itoje has dismissed any concerns over Fin Smith’s first start at fly-half in Saturday’s Six Nations match against France, asserting that the young playmaker is fully prepared for the challenge.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has opted for an attacking approach, deploying both of his primary playmakers in the starting lineup. Fin Smith will take charge as the starting No. 10, while Marcus Smith shifts to full-back, replacing Freddie Steward.

The 22-year-old Fin Smith has earned seven caps for England, all coming off the bench. However, this will be his first opportunity to command England’s attack in a high-stakes international fixture.

Facing an in-form French side led by Antoine Dupont, Smith’s performance will be crucial to England’s hopes of bouncing back from their opening-round defeat.

Maro Itoje has expressed full confidence in Smith’s ability to handle the pressure of starting at fly-half.

"There's no gambles here. We don't go to the casino," he stated. "Fin is a fantastic player. He's been doing his thing, training really well.

"He's been in camp for a long time now, so I'm excited to see him go. It's our job as his team-mates and his colleagues to support him."

England is eager to recover from their 27-22 defeat against Ireland in Dublin, and Smith’s leadership at No. 10 will be instrumental. Despite the challenge, Itoje believes the young playmaker has the right temperament to thrive.

"He's actually got a very mature temperament," Itoje added.

"He's a young man, but from his demeanour, the way he conducts himself, the way he talks, the way he asserts himself, he has an air of confidence about him, which I think is really impressive."

Borthwick has made five changes to his squad, including two positional adjustments. Ollie Sleightholme returns to the left wing following Cadan Murley’s foot injury, which could rule him out for the remainder of the tournament.

In the forwards, Tom Willis earns his first start at No. 8 in a reshuffled back row, with Ben Earl shifting to openside flanker while Ben Curry moves to the bench.

The squad also sees the return of experienced players, with hooker Jamie George set to make his first appearance since being replaced as captain by Itoje. Elliot Daly also re-enters the squad, strengthening England’s depth.

England will take on France at Allianz Stadium, aiming to secure a crucial victory and keep their Six Nations hopes alive.

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

Reserves: 16 Jamie George, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Elliot Daly.