| Venue: Stade de Marseille Date: Sunday, 15 October Kick-off: 16:00 BST |
| Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Owen Farrell will replace George Ford at fly-half for England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji, with Marcus Smith starting at full-back.
Ford started three of England’s four pool games at 10, with Farrell suspended for the first two matches.
The fly-half now drops to the bench, with Joe Marchant and Manu Tuilagi in the centre for Sunday’s game.
Jonny May and Elliot Daly will start on the wing in Marseille, while England’s forward pack is unchanged.
Steve Borthwick has restored Farrell and Smith to the positions they held in England’s 71-0 win against Chile.
Scrum-half Danny Care and centre Ollie Lawrence are the other backs on England’s bench.
“Everyone knows just what an unpredictably dangerous opposition Fiji can be,” Borthwick said.
“However, we have shown in the group stages how we can win games, and we will be calling on that experience and determination to ensure we carry on our journey.”
England lost to Fiji for the first time in an August warm-up game at Twickenham.
Fiji, meanwhile, have selected 10 players who started in that match.
Hooker Sam Matavesi will start the game on the bench following the death of his father Sireli Matavesi, while Semi Radradra returns to the wing after missing the defeat by Portugal in the Pacific Islanders’ final pool game.
Borthwick rolls the dice
England fans were buoyed after Ford slotted three drop-goals and kicked all 27 points in their opening pool-stage victory against Argentina in September.
Victory against Japan and a second successive man-of-the match performance by Ford followed.
Farrell returned for a 71-0 thumping of Chile, before questions were raised again in last weekend’s narrow 18-17 win against Samoa – when Ford and Farrell played at 10 and 12 respectively.
After Ford was substituted in the 52nd minute of that game, former England captain Matt Dawson said he would be “astounded” if the Sale back was replaced by Farrell for Sunday’s game.
Borthwick and his coaches have also rolled the dice with Smith’s selection.
Previously, Steward had started 29 of the 30 Tests since his debut in 2021 and the decision to drop him this time may be because Fiji are not expected to pose a kicking threat.
Steward’s defensive and aerial abilities will be replaced by the pacier attack and play-making skill of Smith, who is usually a fly-half. Whether the experiment works remains to be seen.
Line-ups
England: Smith; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Farrell (capt), Mitchell; Genge, George, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes, Curry, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Marler, Sinckler, Martin, Vunipola, Care, Ford, Lawrence.
Fiji: Droasese; Habosi, Nayacalevu (capt), Tuisova, Radradra; Botitu, Lomani; Mawi, Ikanivere, Tagi, Nasilasila, Tuisue, Tagitagivalu, Botia, Mata.
Replacements: Matavesi, Ravai, Doge, Derenalagi, Miramira, Kuruvoli, Masi, Maqala.
