Steve Borthwick insists Owen Farrell's demotion to the bench was based on more than goalkicking as he made the shock decision to pick Marcus Smith at fly-half for England's clash with France.For the first time since 2015, Farrell has been overlooked for the number 10 jersey, with Borthwick displaying the ruthless streak in selection that has already accounted for Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs.

Steve Borthwick insists Owen Farrell's demotion to the bench was based on more than goalkicking as he made the shock decision to pick Marcus Smith at fly-half for England's clash with France.For the first time since 2015, Farrell has been overlooked for the number 10 jersey, with Borthwick displaying the ruthless streak in selection that has already accounted for Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs.