England’s Six Nations campaign begins on Saturday in Dublin and there are plenty of selection headaches for Steve Borthwick.

Whether Marcus Smith starts at fly-half or full-back is the big talking point, but there are decisions to be made in the back row, with Tom Willis pushing Ben Earl for the No 8 spot.

Telegraph Sport’s rugby experts select the side they would pick.

Marcus Smith at fly-half – with Ford on the bench

The return of Alex Mitchell is critical to England’s hopes of success. He was sorely missed during the autumn campaign; his return will increase England’s speed of ball and attacking tempo.

Ollie Sleightholme brings real pace and finishing nous as the replacement for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, while Freddie Steward returns to dominate the skies, having worked hard to improve his distribution and running threat.

The fly-half debate is not going away, but Marcus Smith is England’s best attacking player right now, and the side need to revolve around him, with his second-half role switching to the back field. Fin Smith is the future, but in the cauldron of Dublin, George Ford’s experience will be key.

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, A Opoku-Fordjour, C Cunningham-South, T Willis, R Quirke, G Ford, T Roebuck

Leave out Freeman and back Opoku-Fordjour

While sometimes suspect defensively, Sleightholme was an exhilarating finisher throughout the autumn series, with his two tries against Australia particular stand-outs.

He is narrowly preferred over Tommy Freeman, whose talents England seem incapable of exploiting. Marcus Smith must be the playmaker around whom this team build for their future, as the conduit through which all their finest moves flow.

Blindside flanker is a tricky call, in light of Ollie Chessum’s limited minutes. Chandler Cunningham-Smith might not be in the greatest form, but his flashy autumn performances suggest he has the appetite for an occasion as grand as a Six Nations opener in Dublin.

It is time also to throw Asher Opoku-Fordjour in at the deep end and see if he can refresh England’s depleted stock of world-class props.

Replacements: B Rodd, T Dan, W Stuart, T Hill, O Chessum, B Earl, R Quirke, F Smith.

Tom Willis and Roebuck should start

You could convincingly make the case for more (“it isn’t working!”) or fewer (cohesion!) changes and I have flip-flopped several times over this.

I was desperately tempted to move Marcus Smith to full-back, but Ireland away just seems the wrong time and place. Instead, I have gone for the expert bomb-disposal trio of Freddie Steward, Tom Roebuck and Tommy Freeman.

In midfield, the Ollie Lawrence-Henry Slade partnership just does not seem to be clicking, so in comes Mr Facilitator Fraser Dingwall, with Lawrence moving to his more natural habitat of outside centre.

The other place that gets a shake-up is the back row. I am relying on Ollie Chessum being Test-fit after so little game time for Leicester to resume his mongrel role at blindside, with Ben Earl switching to openside to accommodate the Premiership’s form player, Tom Willis.

Continuing in that vein, Ted Hill and Ben Curry get the chance to replicate their club performances off the bench, while Raffi Quirke, Fin Smith and Sleightholme should add plenty of electricity to attack.

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, A Opokou-Fordjour, T Hill, B Curry, R Quirke, F Smith, O Sleightholme.

Dingwall and Opoku-Fordour from the off

Perhaps it is cowardly, but I do not want two relative newcomers in my starting back row. With that in mind, I have prioritised Willis over Hill, dropping Earl to a bench that should add verve and help halt England’s habit of late lapses. Chessum is among the replacements as well. Starting him with so little game time since October felt a step too far.

Opoku-Fordjour is in from the off, with club colleague Luke Cowan-Dickie an important presence. Roebuck, superb in the air, deserves a run out wide and Dingwall returns to the midfield instead of Slade.

Finally, Quirke jumps the queue to be Mitchell’s back-up at scrum-half. A six-two split of forwards on the bench was a real possibility, though that would hinge upon using one of Slade or Elliot Daly for their versatility.

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, W Stuart, O Chessum, B Earl, R Quirke, F Smith, O Sleightholme.

Six-two bench with Earl and Chessum on it

I am not against the idea of Marcus Smith starting at full-back and Fin Smith at fly-half, but I am not sure Dublin in the opening round of the Six Nations is the place for England to try it.

Besides, England’s attacking play in the autumn was not the issue. Marcus Smith proved once again that he was well able to unlock defences. It was England’s blitz defence that was the horror show. Selection is irrelevant unless Borthwick can sort that out.

Six-two split on the bench should help England stay competitive up front.

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, A Opoku-Fordjour, T Hill, O Chessum, B Earl, R Quirke, F Smith.

Drop Earl, and six-two on bench

Deliberately playing this very safe, because the temptation to chuck in Dingwall, Roebuck, Opoku-Fordjour and maybe also Hill from the start is absolutely there. But you do not do that in Dublin.

Besides, this line-up is already putting a lot on Chessum and his solitary 54 minutes of action for Leicester since returning from injury, and they need that trio of new captain Maro Itoje with George Martin and Chessum up against (you would imagine) James Ryan, Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne.

Willis and Cowan-Dickie should certainly add some oomph, which is welcome. Slade’s kicking game will help but that combination with Lawrence feels short on time.

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, A Opoku-Fordjour, T Hill, C Cunningham-South, B Earl, R Quirke, F Smith.

Marcus Smith at full-back with Steward on wing

England have key injuries. To that end, adapting is crucial; and how about that back line? All the eloquence of Northampton – particularly at half-back – the same centres, and a blend in the back three that might, just might, do the business.

Without Furbank and Feyi-Waboso, England need aerial prowess and counter-attacking threat; in Steward and Smith with an M they have that (even if the latter won’t like it). But this is all elementary, really. If Willis is not named at No 8 then we all riot…

Replacements: T Dan, B Rodd, A Opoku-Fordjour, C Cunningham-South, T Curry, R Quirke, F Dingwall, O Sleightholme.