England's scrum-half Alex Mitchell is cleared to play in the opening Six Nations match against Ireland, bolstering their chances against the tournament favorites.
England 's chances of pulling off an upset against Ireland have received a significant boost with the clearance of Alex Mitchell for their Six Nations opener in Dublin. Mitchell's participation was initially in question following a knee injury sustained during Northampton's European clash against Munster on January 18th.
However, the England first-choice scrum-half has been reinstated into the 36-man squad currently training in Girona, paving the way for his return against the tournament favorites. Mitchell replaces uncapped Saints teammate Henry Pollock in the squad and is anticipated to wear the number nine jersey when head coach Steve Borthwick announces his team on Thursday. This will mark his first appearance since facing New Zealand in Auckland last July, having been sidelined for the entire autumn series due to a neck injury. Mitchell's value to England was prominently showcased throughout November, where his dynamic play around the fringes and astute decision-making were deeply missed during defeats to the All Blacks, Australia, and South Africa. In his absence, none of the other contenders for the scrum-half position – Ben Spencer, Harry Randall, and Jack van Poortvliet – proved convincing, leaving the pecking order below him uncertain. Spencer, Randall, and Raffi Quirke are vying for the backup scrum-half role, with Van Poortvliet unavailable for the Ireland match due to injury. Mitchell is projected to partner with Marcus Smith at half-back, with the Harlequins playmaker likely to continue his influential style from the autumn, orchestrating England's attacks from fly-half. Smith emerged as England's most creative player throughout November, but there were concerns regarding his ability to release his backline, a skill demonstrably showcased by his chief rival for the position, Fin Smith. Fin Smith is expected to be named on the bench, while Freddie Steward is set to start at full-back in the absence of George Furbank, who has a fractured arm. This trip to Dublin will be the first time England is led by Maro Itoje, who has been appointed captain for the Six Nations, succeeding Jamie George
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