Yahoo Sports Our experts pick their England Six Nations squad
Steve Borthwick will name his Six Nations squad on Wednesday as England begin a new World Cup cycle.
The England head coach must decide how many new players to bring into the fold and which of the old guard remain.
Telegraph Sport’s rugby writers pick the players they would like to be selected. Do you agree with them? Let us know in the comments section.
Forwards (20)
Beno Obano (Bath)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stuart (Bath)
Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
Zach Mercer (Gloucester)
Backs (16)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Olly Hartley (Saracens)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
I have tried to reward form as much as possible while keeping a rump of experienced options. Uncapped players such as Tom Roebuck, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Greg Fisilau would have a real chance of starting England’s opening game against Italy.
Perhaps the biggest mistake of the Eddie Jones era was the lack of new blood following the 2019 World Cup, where the team grew stale and festered. This selection would act as a new chapter. Even accounting for various absences, this would feel like a proper refresh from the World Cup, with new back-row and back-three combinations where competition is wide open.
I also fully expected players such as Asher Opoku-Fordjour, the precocious Sale Sharks tighthead, to come into the mix over the course of this World Cup cycle but for the moment his education is better served in the Premiership. I have changed my mind on my back-row combination approximately 29 times and was loath to leave out Tom Pearson. If Ellis Genge and Joe Marler are both carrying injuries then only one makes the cut.
Forwards (20)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stuart (Bath)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Moon (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Backs (16)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Will Muir (Bath)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
I will come clean. I did not realise Ethan Roots qualified, via his father, to represent England before Steve Borthwick mentioned the New Zealander last week at the England head coach’s press session at Twickenham. But now, having been impressed by Roots’s efforts for Exeter Chiefs since the beginning of the season, I can see the 24-year-old heading into camp and pressing a claim. England do not have too many resourceful, combative blindside flankers such as Roots and they need to replace Courtney Lawes somehow. Of course, Borthwick will consider fielding Maro Itoje, George Martin and Ollie Chessum together.
My most high-profile omission is probably Kyle Sinckler, who was better against Sale Sharks on Friday. Joe Heyes deserves a shot, though. Presuming that Lewis Ludlam is not ready, Alfie Barbeary is an abrasive addition at the base of the scrum with Tom Willis injured. Alex Dombrandt has been in decent form, but just missed out.
This group, which supposes that Ellis Genge, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson have recovered from their respective ailments, contains a smattering of rookies and a fair amount of experience. Fraser Dingwall is a classy centre who could fill the problematic No 12 jersey. There are plenty more tyros and domestic performers who I would like to see in the mix for England A; Phil Brantingham, Tarek Haffar, Gabriel Oghre, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Josh Caulfield, Joe Batley, Sam Graham, Zach Mercer, Guy Pepper, Sam Bedlow, Ollie Hartley, Dan Kelly, Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Roebuck to name a few.
Forwards (20)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Phil Brantingham (Newcastle Falcons)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Backs (16)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Olly Hartley (Saracens)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Will Muir (Bath)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
This squad, as per Borthwick’s stated criteria, is based on Premiership form while blending wise owls such as Joe Marler, Dan Cole and Danny Care with fledgling prospects such as Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Guy Pepper and Olly Hartley. Saints’ back-three trio are rewarded for their imperious club form – with George Furbank and Ollie Sleightholme, in particular, a cut above – while Greg Fisilau and the returning Henry Slade represent fellow Premiership high-flyers Exeter.
All four second rows picked are able blindsides, which gives the back row a wealth of options. Having said that, if I were picking a starting team today, I would include all three of Ollie Chessum, George Martin and Maro Itoje – perhaps with the latter at blindside. Hartley, the 21-year-old inside centre, has delivered some eye-catching displays for Saracens in a depleted area for England. With Slade and Ollie Lawrence the likely starting combination, Hartley’s experience in camp could be invaluable for the future, while he has already shown glimpses of his powerful running game with his club this season.
Apologies in advance to the hipsters or those driving the hype train, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is a prodigious talent but I am just not convinced he is quite ready – yet.
Forwards (20)
Beno Obano (Bath)
Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Jack Walker (Harlequins)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stuart (Bath)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Backs (16)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Will Joseph (Harlequins)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
At the start of a new World Cup cycle, it is out with the old and in with the new. No prizes for guessing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Exeter’s doctor of speed and strength, is handed his first England squad call-up. Given their streetwise displays in the Premiership, George Furbank and Henry Slade are welcomed back into the international fold.
In Tom Pearson, the former London Irish openside who has been making ground like a truck all season for Northampton, along with Exeter youngster Ethan Roots, there are reasons to be optimistic that the big Courtney Lawes-sized hole can be filled. The discreet lack of cover at hooker, however, rolls over into 2024 – the returning Luke Cowan-Dickie remains too undercooked for the oven of Test rugby – so Theo Dan and Jack Walker sneak in. Alex Dombrandt has been reinvigorated by his World Cup omission.
The hope, of course, is that Ellis Genge (hamstring) and Joe Marler (arm) will make it back to full fitness, but a number of new faces have a chance to prove themselves amid a front-row shortfall. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Fin Baxter and Tarek Haffar have been fireballs of energy for their respective clubs and will hugely benefit from mixing with some wise old heads.
