England coach Steve Borthwick has opted against big changes to his 23-man team for the clash with France, making just one alteration following the Italy loss.
Within his starting XV, only Ollie Chessum comes in on the blindside flank as Borthwick opts to maintain cohesion despite his side falling to a first defeat to Italy.
Borthwick’s side head to Paris with nothing but pride on the line after three successive defeats to Scotland, Ireland and the Azzurri, but another defeat would ensure a worst-ever Six Nations finish with just one win from five.
With the head coach keeping changes to a minimum, Elliot Daly, Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley will continue as the back-three combination at the Stade de France, with Tommy Freeman and Seb Atkinson again partnering in midfield.
Fin Smith and Ben Spencer are also retained as the half-back pairing, with Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith the back options on the bench.
The aforementioned Chessum will slot into the back-row in place of the injured Tom Curry, with Guy Pepper moving over to openside flanker as a result. Ben Earl will continue at number eight.
Chessum’s introduction into the back-row means Alex Coles and skipper Maro Itoje will continue at lock, with Joe Heyes, Jamie George and Ellis Genge completing England’s starting group as the front-row.
England will once again deploy six forwards from the bench, with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd, Trevor Davison, Chandler Cunningham-South, Sam Underhill and Henry Pollock included among the replacements list.
Commenting on his selection, Borthwick said: “It’s a huge challenge under the lights in Paris against a very strong France side.
“England versus France is one of the great rivalries in international rugby and we’re looking forward to the occasion.”
The inclusion of Underhill and Smith on the bench will also see them win their respective 50th caps, and the head coach hailed their Test careers to date.
“Reaching 50 caps is a special achievement and a reflection of the consistency both Sam and Marcus have shown in an England shirt,” he said.
“They have both worked extremely hard for this milestone and it’s a credit to them and the people who have supported them along the way.”
England team v France in full
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith
Date: Saturday, 14 March, 2026
Kick-off: 22:10 (SAST)
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referees: Hollie Davidson (SRU), Andrew Brace (IRFU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
