So, with plan B falling as short as plan A against Italy, England head coach Steve Borthwick was faced with either starting afresh, again, or sticking with plan B and hoping that it goes better the second time.

And he's plumped for the latter, resisting the temptation to revert to a more experienced XV with an largely unchanged line-up.

In place of Tom Curry - who limped off before the Italy defeat with a calf injury - Borthwick has picked Ollie Chessum, an effective ball-carrier amid a team who struggled to make distance against Italy.

He's also passed up the chance to rest captain Maro Itoje and give other players the chance to develop their leadership qualities.

JH touched upon it there, but what has gone wrong on the pitch for England?

Remember, they went into the Six Nations on the back of a positive run of results?

Rugby Special's John Barclay and Sam Warburton believed there was a "lack of clarity" within the England squad after a "disjointed" performance against Italy.

Here is their analysis of England's 23-18 loss at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome...

Mike Henson
BBC Sport

Ollie Chessum, who started the first three games of England's campaign in the second row, will add weight, ball-carrying power and a useful line-out option to the back row as blind-side flanker.

However, does a combination of Chessum, Guy Pepper and Ben Earl lack a bit of breakdown hustle to slow up and potentially steal French ball?

You can't have everything...

Image source, Getty Images

England Rugby

So England head coach Steve Borthwick is sticking with the line-up, barring injuries, that suffered a first-ever defeat in Italy.

On the challenge that faces his players in France, Borthwick said: “It’s a huge challenge under the lights in Paris against a very strong France side. England versus France is one of the great rivalries in international rugby and we’re looking forward to the occasion.”

On Sam Underhill and Marcus Smith, both of whom are set to win their 50th England caps from the bench: “Reaching 50 caps is a special achievement and a reflection of the consistency both Sam and Marcus have shown in an England shirt.

"They have both worked extremely hard for this milestone and it’s a credit to them and the people who have supported them along the way.”

Right, here it is.

Steve Borthwick makes one change to the side that faced Italy as Ollie Chessum replaces the injured Tom Curry.

England: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Pollock, van Poortvliet, Smith.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Borthwick's boss has given the England coach his backing this week, but says there will be a full examination of the woeful Six Nations campaign after the team's final-round match against France on Saturday.

"After a 12-match winning run, these past three results [defeats to Scotland, Ireland and Italy] have been hugely disappointing, and we feel that just as much as everyone else," said Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney.

"Steve and his coaching team are working tirelessly to make improvements, and we remain fully committed to supporting them and the players as they face France this weekend and then look ahead to the Nations Championship.

"Part of that support is being open about what hasn't gone right during this Six Nations and making sure everyone has a clear sense of how we move through those challenges together.

"That's something we'll be talking through and working on in the days and weeks ahead.

"We will work together to understand and rectify why we have been unable to meet the expectations and anticipation going into these games.

"England fans rightly expect a team that learns and grows through adversity, and we're confident this group will do everything they can to deliver that."

One player we know that Steve Borthwick will have to replace is Sale Sharks flanker Tom Curry, who picked up a calf injury in the pre-match warm-up before Saturday's defeat in Italy and has already returned home.

Sam Underhill replaced Curry in the starting line-up in Rome, but it will be interesting to see if Borthwick plumps for an alternative - perhaps Leicester Tigers lock Ollie Chessum - for this weekend's Six Nations finale in Paris.

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So what next?

Steve Borthwick has some more decisions to make after his 12 changes to England's last Six Nations squad led to a first ever loss in Italy.

The England head coach will be announcing his next line-up - for Saturday's Six Nations finale in France - from 14:45 GMT.

Should he back the players who lost in Italy, make a few tweaks but essentially stick with the same squad or go back to the drawing board and roll back those sweeping changes?

France await, use the 'Get Involved' button to tell us what changes you would make to England's starting line-up and why...then what you think of latest team selection once it is confirmed.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport reporter

For head coach Steve Borthwick another uninspired and insipid performance in defeat in Italy, 18 months out from the Rugby World Cup, raised the most awkward and far-reaching questions.

England will go to their final-day meeting with France on Saturday - earmarked as a possible Grand Slam decider at the start of the tournament - as minor characters attempting to somehow avoid their first single-win campaign in Six Nations history.

How England's Six Nations campaign has faltered:

• England 48-7 Wales
• Scotland 31-20 England
• England 21-42 Ireland
• Italy 23-18 England
• France v England (Saturday, 20:10 GMT)

Did the changes have the desired effect? Not exactly...

England's Six Nations campaign plunged deeper into crisis as second-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje paved the way to victory for a joyous Italy in Rome.

It was a third successive Six Nations defeat for England and Italy's first-ever win in the fixture after 32 unsuccessful attempts.

While England had made heavy weather of building a lead, they seemed well insulated against such a seismic shock with an 18-10 advantage and little more than 20 minutes left.

However, Underhill was dispatched to the sin-bin for a high hit on Northampton's Danilo Fischetti before captain Itoje followed for mindlessly slapping the ball out of Italy scrum-half Alessandro Fusco's hands.

England lost two players for 10 minutes and Italy gained momentum for the rest of the match, delivering the decisive blow eight minutes from time as Paolo Garbisi, Monty Ioane and Tomasso Menoncello combined thrillingly to put Leonardo Marin in under the posts.

At the final whistle, England's players stood around stunned as the disco lights and celebrations erupted around them. Italy had claimed history - England look to an uncertain future.

Image source, Getty Images

How did those 12 changes pan out?

Well, Fin Smith started at fly-half and Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson came in at 12 for his third cap, while George Ford and Fraser Dingwall - crucial parts of England's all-conquering autumn campaign - were both left out of the matchday squad entirely.

Henry Arundell also lost his place, with Harlequins' Cadan Murley and Sale's Tom Roebuck preferred on the wing, while Elliot Daly came in for full-back Freddie Steward, who was replaced before half-time in the 42-21 defeat by Ireland.

With Ollie Lawrence injured, Tommy Freeman shifted to outside centre from the wing, and Ben Spencer was preferred to Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half, with first-choice Alex Mitchell missing the rest of the tournament with a hamstring problem.

England starting XV against Italy: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Pepper, Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Chessum, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Borthwick shredded his back line before England's last Six Nations match in Italy.

He made a total of 12 changes - including nine personnel switches and three positional shifts - to the starting line-up.

To put that into context, it is the most changes England have made to a starting line-up between Six Nations matches since the tournament expanded in 2000.

So a lot of new combinations to bed in, away from home, against a buoyant Italy. What could go wrong, right?

Glad you could join us for England head coach Steve Borthwick's final team selection of what has been a disappointing Six Nations campaign - to put it mildly.

Borthwick made an unprecedented number of changes to his side following damaging defeats to Scotland and Ireland.

But those changes did not have the desired effect - again, putting it mildly - as the Red Roses fell to a first ever defeat in Italy.

So what does the England head coach do now? Stick with his new-look side or roll back those changes?

Stay with us to find out, as build up to that all-important team news, which is due at 14:45 GMT.

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