Smith, Atkinson and Murley start in England revamp

Smith, Atkinson and Murley start in England revamp By Mike Henson BBC Sport rugby union news reporter Published 36 minutes ago 92 Comments England have shredded their backline and made a total of 12 changes - nine personnel switches and three positional shifts - to their starting line-up to face Italy in the hope a selection revolution will jump-start their stalled Six Nations campaign. Fin Smith starts at fly-half, while Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson comes in at 12 for his third cap, and George Ford and Fraser Dingwall - crucial parts of England's all-conquering autumn campaign - are both left out of the matchday squad entirely. Henry Arundell also loses his place, with Harlequins' Cadan Murley and Sale's Tom Roebuck preferred on the wing, while Elliot Daly comes in for full-back Freddie Steward, who was replaced before half-time in the 42-21 defeat by Ireland last time out. With Ollie Lawrence injured, Tommy Freeman shifts to outside centre from the wing, and Ben Spencer is preferred to Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half as first-choice Alex Mitchell misses the rest of the tournament with a hamstring problem. That raft of changes - the most England have made to a line-up between Six Nations matches since the tournament expanded in 2000 - means not one of the backline positions is filled by the same player as against Ireland 10 days ago. England team to face Italy England: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje , Coles, Pepper, T Curry, Earl. Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Chessum, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith Head coach Steve Borthwick has been less ruthless among the forwards. England's line-out wobbled badly against the Irish, however, and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, another to be withdrawn before the interval, pays the price with Jamie George coming back into the starting line-up. Alex Coles partners Maro Itoje in the second row, while Henry Pollock returns to the bench with Guy Pepper re...