With Owen Farrell on a sabbatical and Marcus Smith injured, Ford is preferred at flyhalf, with Northampton's 21-year-old uncapped Fin Smith on the bench. Uncapped winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, also 21, is another of the replacements.

Alex Mitchell has recovered from an infected leg cut to start at scrumhalf, with Danny Care on the bench.

A series of injuries, retirements and unavailability meant that Borthwick's side was always going to have a new look to that which reached the World Cup semi-finals.

Dingwall will start at inside centre alongside Henry Slade, with Tommy Freeman and Elliot Daly on the wings.

New Zealand-born Roots is blindside flanker, with Sam Underhill and Ben Earl completing the back row. Uncapped flanker Chandler Cunningham-South is on the bench.

England have lost their opening game in the last four Six Nations and won only two matches in each of the last three seasons, but they have never lost to Italy.

England team to play Italy in Rome on Saturday

15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)

14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)

13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 57 caps)

12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 64 caps)

10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 91 caps) – vice-captain

9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 88 caps)

2. Jamie George (Saracens, 85 caps) – captain

3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 76 caps) – vice-captain

5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)

6. Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)

7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)

8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 25 caps)

Replacements:

16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 7 caps)

17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 58 caps) – vice-captain

18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 107 caps)

19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)

20. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, uncapped)

21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 96 caps)

22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

23. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)