Marcus Smith is set for a new role with England (Image: Getty)
Marcus Smith was handed a licence to thrill against France at Twickenham on Saturday after boss confirmed his line-up for the clash.
, from 10, with Northampton’s Fin Smith promoted from the bench to start at fly-half.
Head coach Borthwick gave Harlequin Smith a pep talk on Wednesday urging him to express himself and light up Twickenham.
Borthwick wants the new full-back to run the ball back in the open spaces to expose the French game plan of kicking long.
Borthwick revealed: “He is a game-changer. He’s a player who can do things very few of the players in the world can do.
“I want him to bring all those natural instincts onto the field in an England shirt. Now, whether he starts with number 10 or number 15 on his back, nothing changes.
Steve Borthwick has spoken about his Six Nations plans (Image: Getty)
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“He sees space that other players don’t. He has an ability to find gaps in defences that most people don’t know are there. And that’s exactly what I want him to bring this weekend.”
Borthwick also revealed that Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso could be back before the end of the Six Nations after opting not to have shoulder surgery.
Feyi-Waboso, originally ruled out of the entire tournament, was due to go under the knife last month but decided to rehab his injury and is making progress. Borthwick added: “I’d love him to be back before the end. We talk about players with pace, power and skill. Timescales are a little bit unclear, but he’s going well.”