Why Steve Borthwick is right to bring Ollie Lawrence’s muscle into the England midfield, why Tom Roebuck had to go and how the new-look back row will be a threat to Ireland

Ever since Manu Tuilagi and the Vunipola brothers moved to French shores, England have been short of options to smash through the front door. They have lacked the manpower to make dents in the opposition and leave defenders scrambling to plug the holes.

England lost collisions against Scotland at Murrayfield and Steve Borthwick’s selection for Ireland in recognition of that has added more points of attack. Ball-carrying is a superstrength of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Pollock, whose skillsets should add another dimension to England’s attack at Twickenham.

They do not bring the same physicality as their predecessors Tuilagi or the Vunipolas – England’s squad is not blessed with size – but they have the speed and athleticism to get through the door before it is slammed shut.

With Tommy Freeman shifting back to the wing, Lawrence has been drafted into the team as an indirect replacement for Tom Roebuck on Saturday. The Sale man was a key component of England’s aerial success in the autumn but he offered little else when Scotland’s wingers defused the kicking game at Murrayfield.

The decision to retain Henry Arundell following his red card is a show of faith in another man who can find space with his footwork. Freeman has been tasked with adding more ballast in the wide channels and Lawrence should bring further punch to the midfield.

When things get tight and England need someone in their backline to create a half-break with their carrying, their re-jigged backline looks better equipped to make it happen.

The same applies to Pollock, who has been named in the No 8 position so he can be launched directly off the back of the scrum. Despite playing just 38 out of 160 minutes in the opening rounds, the 21-year-old has made his way into the top 10 players across the Six Nations Championship for dominant contacts.

Joined by Tom Curry on the flank, the new back-row offers more attacking dynamism than the abrasive combination of Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill. Ben Earl targets 20 carries per Test to hit his Performance Index and Pollock will be chasing a similar figure.

While Borthwick has sacrificed his Pom Squad by shifting his Lions players into the starting team, he has options to add attacking intent in the second half. At Murrayfield, Ben Spencer and Fin Smith provided the backline cover from the bench. Borthwick has traded their pragmatism for Jack van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith to cover the half-back roles against Ireland.

Freddie Steward has been retained as a pillar for the aerial game, but if the kicking game does not pay dividends then England have plenty of other ways of getting through the door.