England have made two changes ahead of playing Scotland on Saturday in the Six Nations with Maro Itoje returning to captain the side and Luke Cowan-Dickie also starting but there is no place in the matchday 23 for Marcus Smith.
England head to Edinburgh for the Calcutta Cup clash off the back of a comprehensive 48-7 win over Wales last weekend. They will face a smarting Scotland side at Murrayfield who will be looking to make amends after their defeat to Italy in Rome.
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Steve Borthwick has kept the same backline despite the availability of Ollie Lawrence, so the changes come in the pack. Itoje comes in for Alex Coles, who drops to the bench, while Cowan-Dickie replaces George, who skippered England last Saturday. And the fit again Fin Smith replaces Marcus Smith on the bench, with the Harlequins playmaker dropping out of the squad.
“Playing Scotland at Murrayfield is always a fantastic occasion and a challenge we are relishing,” Borthwick said.
“We made a pleasing start to the Championship, but we understand that we must continue to raise our standards. The squad has trained with focus and determination this week, and we’re excited for the opportunity to test ourselves again on Saturday.”
