Marcus Smith left out of England 23 to face Australia with Lions made to wait

Guy Pepper gets nod with Tom Curry among six Lions on bench

WAITING GAME: England have omitted Marcus Smith completely from their matchday squad to face Australia on Saturday and confirmed George Ford as their starting fly-half.

England have omitted Marcus Smith completely from their matchday squad to face Australia on Saturday and confirmed George Ford as their starting fly-half. Head coach Steve Borthwick has also named six British & Irish Lions on his bench with Tom Curry, Ellis Genge and Henry Pollock all named among the replacements.

Instead Borthwick has preferred to put his faith in lower-profile players such as Bath’s Guy Pepper, Sale’s Tom Roebuck and Leicester’s Joe Heyes in a side which also has no place for Bath’s Ollie Lawrence or Exeter’s Henry Slade, both midfield regulars last season. Tommy Freeman will wear 13 having been shifted inside from the wing to form a centre pairing with his Northampton clubmate Fraser Dingwall.