Boringly, it seems none of Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad are planning an imminent switch to American football. That said, Borthwick’s new England patriots – small p – still delivered several interesting headlines. A fresh captain in Jamie George alongside an uncapped posse of names, including Manny Feyi-Waboso, Chandler Cunningham-South and Ethan Roots, has done a good job of sprinkling some genuine intrigue across Twickenham’s frozen tundra.
With just 17 survivors from the Rugby World Cup the list of absentees is, at first glance, the most eye-catching. Remove, among others, Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, Jonny May, Ben Youngs, the Vunipola brothers and Kyle Sinckler, plus the recuperating Manu Tuilagi and Tom Curry, and the weight of missing caps is considerable. Add in a few other French-based exiles – Henry Arundell, Jack Willis, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds – and Borthwick has been required to plug a good few holes.
There was always going to be a post‑RWC changing of the guard but the management have also been at pains not to box-kick the baby out with the bathwater. For every Feyi-Waboso, Chandler‑South or Roots there is a Dan Cole, Joe Marler or Danny Care to balance out the equation. Borthwick has spoken a lot about evolution, rather than revolution, and has been as good as his word.
In fact, Sinckler (heading for France, it appears), Billy Vunipola, Jack Walker and Max Malins are the only fit and available World Cup players not involved, slightly diluting any sense of a brave new world. Even Tuilagi is scheduled to be back from the championship’s midpoint, while Curry, George Martin and Bevan Rodd would all have featured had they not been sidelined. Mix in the return of Henry Slade, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Dombrandt and Ben Spencer and a total reboot this is not.
The big imponderable, however, is exactly how Borthwick will mix and match his chosen resources and how many of the new faces will actually see any live action. Tellingly, for example, this is the 10th England squad in which Fraser Dingwall has been included, dating back to 2020, and he has yet to win a cap. If the 24‑year‑old Saint does not collect one this time around there really could be a case for throwing in the white towel and declaring for Scotland, for whom he is also qualified.
Of Borthwick’s magnificent seven newcomers, then, how many should expect to be blooded between now and mid-March? Harlequins’ versatile centre Oscar Beard and his clubmate Cunningham‑South, late of London Irish, may have to be the most patient but, depending on the circumstances, the other five could just have a shot.
Either Exeter’s Feyi-Waboso or Sale’s Tom Roebuck will be in contention for an opening weekend bench place against Italy while the hard-working Roots, another fast‑rising Exeter man, could start on the blindside flank with Lawes, Curry, Martin and Willis all missing.
It will be similarly fascinating to see how many of Northampton’s in‑form backs force their way into contention. Borthwick acknowledges that England’s attacking game needs to go to another level and Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith, Dingwall and the recalled Tommy Freeman and George Furbank offer a collective level of cohesion which is all important at the highest level.
Much also clearly depends on everyone making it through the final weekend of Champions Cup matches unscathed but, if the recently limping George Ford is not fully firing during the training camp in Girona next week, England’s backline could morph into something rather different.
If it ends up being Marcus Smith back at 10 (with his namesake Fin on the bench), Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade at 12 and 13, Freeman and Elliot Daly on the wings, either Freddie Steward or the in-form George Furbank at full-back and Feyi‑Waboso on the bench there would certainly be no shortage of skill, pace or left‑footed kicking options.
The pack, assuming Marler and Ellis Genge recover from their injuries, looks likely to be rather more settled with Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum in the second row and Ben Earl and Sam Underhill probably inked into the back three. The 24-year-old Roots, who was born in Auckland and was playing in Wales for Ospreys last season, is in a battle with Alex Coles and possibly Nick Isiekwe for the No 6 jersey, having caught the eye of both Borthwick and England’s former World Cup-winning flanker Richard Hill, now the national team manager.
Whether there is sufficient power to steamroller either France or Ireland in March is another matter but at least England have an upbeat, popular new leader. George might not have been first choice with everybody else fit but he is a perfect man for this type of situation: close enough to Farrell to feel like a continuity candidate, enough of his own man to offer something slightly different.
Borthwick did not quite go as far as promising the genial Saracen the role until 2027 but, as with Lawes previously, George has the happy knack of making those around him feel more relaxed. While it would also have been nice to see the barnstorming Alfie Barbeary in the squad, England do not want to rush things unduly.
The Italy game is only three full training sessions away and Rome was not built in a day.
