Exeter Chiefs centre starts for England in Calcutta Cup

Exeter Chiefs star Henry Slade has been named in England’s starting XV for this weekend’s highly anticipated Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations, further cementing his status as a key figure in Steve Borthwick’s squad.

The experienced centre will take his place at inside centre alongside Ollie Lawrence, tasked with providing creativity and control in England’s midfield.

Slade retains his starting spot after a strong performance against France in round two, where his distribution and defensive awareness played a pivotal role in England’s victory.

This will be a significant fixture for Slade, who has been a consistent performer for England but faces strong competition for a place in the squad. His leadership and game management will be crucial as England look to reclaim the historic trophy and break Scotland’s recent dominance in the fixture.

Borthwick has made just one change to his starting XV, with Ollie Chessum coming into the second row alongside captain Maro Itoje. Elsewhere, the front row features vice-captain Ellis Genge at loosehead prop, Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker, and Will Stuart at tighthead.

The back row sees Tom Curry start at blindside flanker, Ben Earl at openside, and Tom Willis at No.8.

Slade will have the responsibility of linking up with fly-half Fin Smith and scrum-half Alex Mitchell, forming a dynamic playmaking axis that will look to unlock Scotland’s defence. The back three consists of Ollie Sleightholme and Tommy Freeman on the wings, with Marcus Smith lining up at full-back.

On the bench, England have opted for a 6-2 split, with Jamie George, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, George Martin, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Harry Randall, and Elliot Daly providing reinforcement.

For Exeter Chiefs fans, Slade’s continued presence on the international stage is a source of pride. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay for both club and country, and his performance against Scotland will be closely watched as he aims to help England maintain their Six Nations title hopes.