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Pollock starts as Itoje reaches Test milestone against Ireland

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his team to face Ireland on Saturday, in Round Three of the 2026 Guinness Six Nations.

There are three changes to the starting side that faced Scotland last weekend, with Ollie Lawrence, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock coming into the side.

Pollock is handed his first Test start in an England shirt.

Elsewhere, Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith are named among the replacements on a 6-2 split bench.

Maro Itoje will win his 100th cap, becoming only the ninth men’s player to reach the milestone for England.

“To reach 100 caps for England is a remarkable achievement and speaks volumes about Maro’s consistency and professionalism over many years,” said Borthwick.

“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.”

“We’re expecting a huge contest at Allianz Stadium, and we’re excited for it.

“We know the challenge Ireland will bring, and we’ve selected a side that we believe has the right balance to meet it.”

England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Sam Underhill, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith

Date: Saturday, February 21
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 14.10 (14.10 GMT)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

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