Itoje ready to rumble with Lions roomie as Schmidt freshens it up
ENGLAND lock Maro Itoje is poised for a Twickenham showdown with Welshman Alun Wyn Jones — after they shared a room together on last summer’s Lions tour. The pair will go head-tohead on Saturday, with Eddie Jones set to name Itoje in the No 5 jersey this morning. Together they started the two decisive Tests against the All Blacks last year, but Itoje insists that any inside knowledge won’t feature in the heat of battle. ‘It’s a completely different setting, different team and different environment,’ said the English second row. ‘We were room-mates for a couple of weeks and we got on very well. He let his hair down a bit. I’m lucky enough that I have quite long, free-flowing hair. He’s severely balding, but I think he’s come to terms with it. ‘He’s very professional, trains hard and is diligent.’ England last night named a 25-man squad ahead of round two of the Six Nations. Rookies Gary Graham and Nathan Earle have been replaced by Zach Mercer and Denny Solomona, with Richard Wigglesworth taking over from injured Ben Youngs.
JOE SCHMIDT looks set to break with his regular cautious approach today and change four of his starting pack to face Italy on Saturday in Dublin, while teeing up uncapped Jordan Larmour for a debut off the bench. Changing half of his forwards would represent a marked change in the way the Ireland coach typically operates at this time of year. Since his first Championship in 2014, he has been in the habit of making as few switches as possible due to the premium the IRFU places on getting springtime results. However, having spent last summer and November building depth in his squad, he is poised to freshen up his pack following the away win over France. One alteration is a certainty. Dan Leavy, so impressive off the bench in Paris for the injured Josh van der Flier, is set to start at openside as his provincial colleague has been ruled out for the rest of the season. Away from the forwards, Schmidt is expected to give last weekend’s backline a vote of confidence despite its sluggish efforts in attack.