Owen Farrell will replace George Ford at fly-half for England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji, with Marcus Smith starting at full-back.

Ford started three of England’s four pool games at 10, with Farrell suspended for the first two matches.

The fly-half now drops to the bench, with Joe Marchant and Manu Tuilagi in the centre for Sunday’s game.

Jonny May and Elliot Daly will start on the wing in Marseille, while England’s forward pack is unchanged.

Steve Borthwick has restored Farrell and Smith to the positions they held in England’s 71-0 win against Chile.

Scrum-half Danny Care and centre Ollie Lawrence are the other backs on England’s bench.

“Everyone knows just what an unpredictably dangerous opposition Fiji can be,” Borthwick said.

“However, we have shown in the group stages how we can win games, and we will be calling on that experience and determination to ensure we carry on our journey.”

Borthwick rolls the dice

England fans were buoyed after Ford’s drop-goal heroics helped the side to an opening pool-stage victory against Argentina in September.

That result came after England suffered their first defeat by Fiji in an August warm-up game.

Victory against Japan followed and Farrell returned for a 71-0 thumping of Chile, before questions were raised again in last weekend’s narrow 18-17 win against Samoa – when Ford and Farrell played at 10 and 12 respectively.

After Ford was substituted in the 52nd minute of that game, former England captain Matt Dawson said he would be “astounded” if the Sale back was replaced by Farrell for Sunday’s game.

Borthwick and his coaches have also rolled the dice with Smith’s selection.

Previously, Steward had started 29 of the 30 Tests since his debut in 2021 and the decision to drop him this time may be because Fiji are not expected to pose a kicking threat.

Steward’s defensive and aerial abilities will be replaced by Smith’s pacier attack. Whether the experiment works remains to be seen.

England team to face Fiji

England: Smith; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Farrell (capt), Mitchell; Genge, George, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes, Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Dan, Marler, Sinckler, Martin, Vunipola, Care, Ford, Lawrence.