• Borthwick decision is blow to Smith’s Lions hopes
• Dingwall replaces Slade at inside-centre

Marcus Smith faces an uphill battle to regain his England place after Steve Borthwick sought to kickstart his side’s spluttering attack by axing the Harlequins playmaker, dealing a major blow to his British & Irish Lions hopes.

Borthwick dropped Smith for Sunday’s Six Nations fixture with Italy in a one-on-one meeting in England’s hotel bar and has offered him no assurances over his future place in the starting XV with Elliot Daly coming in at full-back. In his favoured position of fly-half, Fin Smith continues and with Fraser Dingwall replacing Henry Slade at inside-centre, Borthwick has picked five Northampton backs and highlighted the cohesion that brings.