England have been handed a major boost for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday with Alex Mitchell passed fit to start at scrum-half. Mitchell gave Steve Borthwick a scare after sustaining a knee injury this month but he has been deemed ready to rekindle his half-back partnership with Marcus Smith in Dublin.
Mitchell missed England’s entire autumn campaign with a neck injury and was missed as Borthwick’s side fell to three defeats out of four. He has emerged as the head coach’s first-choice scrum-half, however, and – having taken a full part in the session on Monday after being unable to train last week – he is poised to retake the No 9 jersey against the defending champions.
Smith is expected to retain the fly-half jersey with Freddie Steward returning at full-back. Borthwick said he was considering shifting Smith to No 15 and deploying Steward on the wing but that is a more likely prospect in the second half against Ireland, or later in the tournament.
It is also understood the in-form No 8 Tom Willis is poised for a second cap and his first involvement since an appearance off the bench in the 2023 World Cup warm-up defeat by Wales in Cardiff. Willis has been in outstanding form for Saracens and, while a spot among the replacements is most likely, a place in the 23 is reward for his recent performances.
The 26-year-old was overlooked for the autumn internationals despite beginning the season with Saracens impressively. Formerly of Wasps, Willis – who is two years younger than his brother, the Toulouse flanker Jack – joined Bordeaux in November 2022 before returning to England with Saracens in 2023. With Alex Dombrandt among the injury absentees, Willis is poised for a long-awaited second cap.
Mitchell’s recovery will be welcomed by Borthwick. Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet both started in the autumn but struggled to impose themselves. Mitchell, meanwhile, has emerged as a key part of Borthwick’s starting XV having been given a reprieve to join the 2023 World Cup squad. His return to training means his Northampton teammate Henry Pollock has left the squad training in Girona to join the under-20s. With Spencer, Raffi Quirke and Harry Randall also in the squad, there appears to be a three-way shootout for the backup scrum-half spot in Dublin.
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While Borthwick is expected to name a settled backline, with Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence likely to continue in the centres, he has a decision to make on the wing with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso injured after shoulder surgery. Tommy Freeman is poised to start on one wing with Ollie Sleightholme the most likely choice on the other after starting against South Africa and Japan in November, when Feyi-Waboso was nursing a head injury. Tom Roebuck is another option, however, as is Elliot Daly, despite sustaining an injury during the autumn.
