Captain Maro Itoje has returned to England's starting XV for Saturday's Six Nations match against Scotland at Murrayfield. Itoje, who was on the bench for the 48-7 win against Wales, starts in the second row as one of two changes to the forward pack.
Newcomer Luke Cowan-Dickie is at hooker with Jamie George, who led the side in Itoje's absence last weekend, among the replacements. In the other change to England's matchday squad from their opening win, fly-half Fin Smith comes on to the bench in place of namesake Marcus.
The changes mark a return for Itoje, who had missed the start of their training camp in Girona due to family commitments after his mother Florence passed away. He partnered Ollie Chessum at lock and Alex Coles was on the bench.
Meanwhile, England's backline remains unchanged with Henry Arundell starting on the left wing after scoring a hat-trick last weekend, while Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman will continue in midfield despite Ollie Lawrence being available. Tom Roebuck retains his place on the right wing alongside Freddie Steward at full-back.
Steward expressed how much he had learned from his spell out of the team, saying: "I am a lot better rugby player for that period. I have matured a lot and yeah, I am not saying I needed it, I wouldn't want it to happen again, but it definitely helped me."
Newcomer Luke Cowan-Dickie is at hooker with Jamie George, who led the side in Itoje's absence last weekend, among the replacements. In the other change to England's matchday squad from their opening win, fly-half Fin Smith comes on to the bench in place of namesake Marcus.
The changes mark a return for Itoje, who had missed the start of their training camp in Girona due to family commitments after his mother Florence passed away. He partnered Ollie Chessum at lock and Alex Coles was on the bench.
Meanwhile, England's backline remains unchanged with Henry Arundell starting on the left wing after scoring a hat-trick last weekend, while Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman will continue in midfield despite Ollie Lawrence being available. Tom Roebuck retains his place on the right wing alongside Freddie Steward at full-back.
Steward expressed how much he had learned from his spell out of the team, saying: "I am a lot better rugby player for that period. I have matured a lot and yeah, I am not saying I needed it, I wouldn't want it to happen again, but it definitely helped me."
man i think its interesting how sports like rugby can be a metaphor for life itself... like when you're on the bench watching others play, its almost like being in a state of limbo or waiting for your own chance to shine. and then when you get that opportunity, it's all about seizing it and making the most of it. captain maro itojes return is like a reminder that we all have our own struggles and setbacks, but with perseverance and determination, we can overcome them and come out stronger on the other side 
he was missing from the training camp due to family stuff but now he's back and ready to take on scotland 
can't wait to see him playing alongside ollie chessum at lock 
omg u gotta love captain maro 
btw freddie steward is growing up so fast 
England's starting XV is lookin strong! glad maro itoje is back on the team! 
i remember when he first joined and now he's playin fullback with confidence 
... think its good for england they got him back but why did he have to miss the start of training camp? his mum passing away was a tough one 
. anyways, i guess its all good now that hes back and they're taking on scotland at murrayfield this saturday 
. I love how England is still sticking with their solid midfield trio, though. Those guys have got some serious chemistry going on 
. And Steward's growth as a player? Unbelievable! He was saying that being out of the team actually helped him mature and get better, who knew? 
. And wow, Henry Arundell's hat-trick last weekend was insane! England's backline looks solid, but they'll need to step up their defense if they wanna take down Scotland 
. Bring on Saturday, I'm hyped! 