England v Scotland: Six Nations 2023 – live

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Paul Williams, the NZ ref, blows hard on the peeper and Marcus Smith hoists the ball high into the South West London gloaming to get this show on the road

The teams are on their way out.

Joe Marchant is beaming a big smile, the sole indication of joy, amongst all the serious faces around him as the teams line up for the anthems.

Pre match reading

Our man Rob Kitson has a feeling this actually is a new England that is not simply looking for another girl. Read more about it here..

Borthwick hands a debut to Ollie Hassell-Collins, the London Irish winger who was perhaps due one sooner. Elsewhere in the backs Van Poortvliet is preferred over Ben Youngs and Joe Marchant, soon France-bound for his club employment, returns in the centre. Up front, Ben Curry is back in the international fold in place of his injured brother, Tom, while Dombrandt and Chessum refresh the pack also.

For Scotland, Chris Harris, considered the first name on the team sheet by many, is benched as Townsend prefers Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in the centres. Ben White is in ahead of George Horne to partner Finn Russell at halfback.

England Freddie Steward; Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Owen Farrell (capt), Ollie Hassell-Collins; Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Lewis Ludlam, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt.

Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Ollie Lawrence, 23 Anthony Watson.

Scotland Stuart Hogg; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, WP Nel, Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (capt), Luke Crosbie, Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 George Horne, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Chris Harris.

It’s Calcutta Cup time, and for the first time in seven years, there’s no Eddie Jones to fill the column inches. Instead, new England coach Steve Borthwick will hope there will be more written about his side’s actual good performance than the nonsensical words his predecessor would use to pretend the showings in the last year were anything other than a bit crap.

The Cumbrian’s first task as he begins his international head coaching journey is to overcome an interesting Scotland selection from his opposite number, Gregor Townsend. In contrast, the Scots head coach is embarking on his own Frank Slade-esque tour of pleasures as his time in the job heads to a definite end sometime this coming autumn. The first pleasure he’s indulged appears to be picking a side to play rugby a breakneck speed, figuring if he only has a few matches left, he’s not going to die with the music in him.

Borthwick is looking to throw in some interesting riffs of his own, with a selection off the bat that looks mobile rather than meaty, and sticking with Marcus Smith at 10 despite many assuming it would be Farrell shifted back there.

History tells us England should sneak it, but a fascinating game awaits.