Henry Pollock handed first England start in Six Nations clash with Ireland

Henry Pollock has been handed his first England start against Ireland while Steve Borthwick has recalled Tom Curry and Ollie Lawrence as he seeks to get his side’s Six Nations campaign back on track.

Henry Arundell has been retained after escaping a suspension while Tommy Freeman shifts back to the wing to accommodate Lawrence and Marcus Smith comes back on to the replacements bench.

Pollock has made seven appearances as a replacement but after watching his side slip to a disappointing 30-21 defeat at Murrayfield, Borthwick has seen fit to hand the 21-year-old a first start at No 8 with Ben Earl moving to openside flanker. Pollock caught the eye against Scotland off the bench and adds some much-needed verve to the side.

Curry, meanwhile, makes his first England start in almost a year at blindside flanker after being utilised more recently as part of Borthwick’s “Pom Squad”. He replaced Sam Underhill at half-time against Scotland and has pledged to bring a physical edge against Ireland on Saturday. Underhill and Guy Pepper – both of whom disappointed against Scotland – drop to the bench.

Lawrence’s recall means Freeman shifts to the wing and Tom Roebuck drops out of the squad entirely. Freeman has started the first two matches of England’s Six Nations campaign in the No 13 jersey but Lawrence adds more punch and reprises a centre partnership with Fraser Dingwall that shone in the autumn victory over New Zealand.

Arundell’s reprieve comes after his red card for two yellows against Scotland. The Bath winger faced a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday morning but the panel determined that his dismissal in the 47th minute at Murrayfield for a second yellow card was sufficient punishment.

The front row is unchanged with Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Joe Heyes keeping their places while Maro Itoje wins his 100th England cap in the second row alongside Ollie Chessum. Alex Mitchell and George Ford are the half-backs with Freddie Steward again at full-back.

On the bench, Bevan Rodd, Jamie George and Trevor Davison provide front-row cover, Alex Coles joins Underhill and Pepper as one of six forwards while Jack van Poortvliet is the back-up scrum-half, replacing Ben Spencer. Marcus Smith comes in for namesake Fin in the No 23 jersey to offer some additional creativity.

Of Itoje’s milestone, Borthwick said: “To reach 100 caps for England is a remarkable achievement and speaks volumes about Maro’s consistency and professionalism over many years. He leads through his actions every day, sets the standard for others and cares deeply about representing his country. We’re all incredibly proud of what he has achieved, and I know it will be a special day for him and his family.”