England's Revamped Backline Must Deliver Immediately Against Italy, Says Daly
Elliot Daly has acknowledged that England's completely overhauled backline must hit the ground running when they face Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome this Saturday. Despite England's perfect record of 32 victories in all previous encounters with Italy, this weekend's Six Nations showdown is anticipated to be their most demanding challenge yet.
Borthwick's Radical Selection Shake-Up
Head coach Steve Borthwick has responded decisively to England's conclusive losses against Scotland and Ireland, which extinguished their Guinness Six Nations title hopes. He has implemented an unprecedented 12 changes to the squad, including three positional adjustments. This radical selection serves as a clear warning that recent performances have fallen below the required standard.
The comprehensive overhaul features an entirely new backline, with Daly making his first appearance of the Championship. The veteran full-back emphasised the necessity for the new unit to seize this opportunity immediately.
"The way Steve has set this team up, you can be called in at any moment and you need to perform," stated the British and Irish Lion. "We understood we would get our shot at some point. It has come this weekend and we're looking forward to it. We have got a squad of 36 people and we all need to be ready to go when needed."
Daly added, "We've only lost two games. It's not the end of the world, but they were games we wanted to win. We know we didn't perform in those two games and we know we need to learn lessons for a tough game on Saturday, which is what it's going to be in Rome."
Untested Combinations and Key Players
Remarkably, none of the units within the new backline have previously played together in a Test match. However, there are familiar connections. Fly-half Fin Smith and inside centre Seb Atkinson both progressed through the Worcester academy simultaneously and featured for the first team during the 2021-22 season.
This match marks Smith's first start since the autumn internationals, while Atkinson aims to build upon the promise he demonstrated against Argentina last summer as he makes his Six Nations debut.
Daly expressed confidence in his new teammates, saying, "Fin's been in and out a little bit but he's a quality player. I love playing with Fin. I haven't played with Seb before but he brings physicality. He brings a lot of enthusiasm, he wants to get his hands on the ball and put people into space, which is exactly what we need. And he is also pretty fit, so he runs around and always seems to be there. That's kind of what you need from your 12."
A Transformed Italian Challenge
While England's historical dominance over Italy is undeniable, the Azzurri present a significantly transformed challenge. Their 36-match losing streak in the Six Nations finally ended in 2022, and they have since developed into a more competitive and formidable side. This evolution ensures that Saturday's encounter in Rome will be far from straightforward, testing England's revamped lineup to its limits from the opening whistle.
