Itoje on bench for England against Wales

LONDON, Feb 2 : Maro Itoje will miss part of a Six Nations game for the first time in six years after being named on the bench by Steve Borthwick on Monday for England's championship opener against Wales on Saturday.

Borthwick had been due to name his team on Thursday but went early. Itoje missed part of England's build-up due to the funeral of his mother in Nigeria and this will be the first time in 30 Six Nations matches that he has missed a single minute. Alex Coles and Ollie Chessum will start in the second row, with hooker Jamie George captaining the team until Itoje comes on.

   Freddie Steward claims the fullback position, with Marcus Smith again providing cover for him and flyhalf George Ford from the bench. With Tom Roebuck injured, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Arundell, in his first start since the 2023 World Cup Bronze Final, complete the back three. Northampton duo Tommy Freeman and Fraser Dingwall are the centres.

    Joe Heyes and Ellis Genge are the starting props with Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill and Ben Earl in the back row. Tom Curry, Henry Pollock, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd and Ben Spencer complete the 6-2 bench.

England go into the game on a run of 11 wins with real belief that they can take the Six Nations title for the first time since 2020.

Wales, in contrast, are having a torrid time and have not won a Six Nations game since 2023.

England have won the teams' last four Six Nations games, including a 68-14 thrashing in Cardiff last year, but Borthwick said the visitors still retain his respect.

"England versus Wales is always a special occasion in the rugby calendar, it’s a fierce rivalry with a long history, and one that brings a huge challenge every time we meet," he said.

"We expect Wales to bring a