England's new starter "should allow the team to benefit" as gamble made vs France

England fly-half Fin Smith volition commencement astatine 10 for the archetypal clip arsenic Marcus Smith drops to fullback with the erstwhile hoping his nine connections tin assistance the team's onslaught occurrence against France

World Cup victor Matt Dawson believes Marcus Smith is amended utilised astatine fly-half - but has backed his replacement Fin Smith to payment arsenic helium plays alongside respective of his Northampton colleagues successful England's backline.

Steve Borthwick has opted to see some Smiths this play against France - dropping Marcus Smith backmost to fullback and bringing Fin Smith successful for his archetypal commencement astatine fly-half. England are seeking a effect pursuing a decision to Ireland connected the opening play of the Six Nations.

Fin Smith has been cardinal to Northampton's awesome onslaught successful the Premiership and volition person Alex Mitchell wrong him astatine scrum-half and Tommy Freeman extracurricular him connected the wing.

Ireland person profited massively from having a Leinster dense squad with 11 of their starting XV past week playing unneurotic with their province. France arsenic person tapped into nine combinations with 12 of their starts connected Saturday coming from Toulouse and Bordeaux.

Dawson told Mirror Sport helium was "glad that Fin Smith is getting the accidental to play" earlier going connected to add: "It volition decidedly payment their rhythm. When I played astatine England with Paul Grayson, who was my fly-half, we were connected, we bash it time in, time out.

"They (the Northampton players) are with each different connected the grooming pitch, erstwhile they're going for a coffee, astir apt erstwhile they're retired with their partners and their families.

"So you're going to person much of a transportation connected the field, much of an knowing connected the tract which should let the squad to benefit. It doesn't mean you'll win, but it gives your combinations much of a chance."

Fin Smith himself said connected BBC's Rugby Union Weekly: "If I tin get the onslaught flowing, get immoderate of the immoderate of the awesome backs we've got into the game, past I'll consciousness similar I've enactment successful a decent performance."

Two into 1 doesn't spell and the inclusion of Fin Smith meant Marcus Smith was going to person to deterioration 15 if Borthwick wanted to support him arsenic a starter. Dawson concedes that the apical tier nations volition person dedicated immoderate of their week to countering his inclusion astatine fullback.

He added: "When they travel up against a squad who propulsion a spot of a curve shot astatine them, similar Marcus Smith astatine 15, they tin walk immoderate of their week connected moving retired however to combat that. They've got the accomplishment and the endowment to instrumentality it connected the day. I'm not definite Marcus has played 15 against the apical teams and been unleashed."

England are looking to drawback a mediocre grounds against teams ranked supra them. Last play they held a 10-5 vantage successful Dublin earlier Ireland took control, scoring 22 unanswered points, with Dawson suggesting the transportation that exists wrong the Irish campy proved pivotal.

He said: "The full knowing each different and being connected. The players are astir apt much connected that they've ever been adjacent though they're spending much clip distant from friends and family.

"Maybe that's 1 of those edges, look astatine the Irish squad that, erstwhile it came to it, perfectly knuckled down and came up with a strategy. They cognize each different wrong retired to present that successful the second-half to triumph the game."

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