The Six Nations kicks of later this month and Steve Borthwick will soon announce his squad to go for a rare grandslam. Here is who I think he should select for his squad and why.
LHP
Fin Baxter, Ellis Genge, Tarek Haffar, Emmanuel Iyogun, Beno Obano, Bevan Rodd
Ellis Genge remains the presumptive starter with Fin Baxter continuing to improve as his back-up. The remaining spot is between 4 other players. Beno Obano has been on the periphery of the England squad for a long time and is now by far the oldest of those competing for the final spot. Rodd has been a solid option for a while, whilst Haffar and Iyogun could bring a new dynamism to the position. In the end, I think Rodd's consistency and reliability give him the edge over the rest going into a pivotal campaign.
Selections: Fin Baxter, Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd
HKR
Luke Cowan-Dickie, Theo Dan, Jamie George, Nathan Jibulu, Gabriel Oghre, Kepu Tuipulotu
British and Irish Lions Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie are almost certainly going to be in the squad. The third spot is up for grabs. Curtis Langdon is seemingly out of the running due to injury which leaves 4 others going for the last spot. The inclusion of Tuipulotu on this list may well be premature, but he has been around the England set-up for a while and could easily be included to further his development. The potentially more realistic options are: Jibulu, Dan and Oghre. Dan is the incumbent, but he is yet to nail down his place in the squad and is under severe pressure from Oghre and Jibulu. They are all very similar players so it comes down to a mixture of form and preference. Jibulu's line-out throwing is sometimes erratic, which means that he should probably be given time to develop behind Cowan-Dickie at Sale and possibly a game or 2 with England A. Oghre, in my opinion, has been in much better form than Dan at club level and thus deserves a spot in the England squad.
Selections: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, Gabriel Oghre
THP
Trevor Davison, Afo Fasogbon, Joe Heyes, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Vilikesa Sela, Will Stuart
This position, like the other 2 in the front row, has 2 definite inclusions and 1 spot up for grabs. Stuart and Heyes have both proven themselves at test level and are now reliable operators at the highest level. The battle behind them is fascinating. Sela is one for the future, and is a rising star in the game, but this is too soon for him. Trevor Davison brings plenty of experience to the table, but I think he is probably now behind both Fasogbon and Opoku-Fordjour. Out of those 2, Opoku-Fordjour is a more well-rounded prop who already has international experience. That would have put him in the 3rd spot if not for the recent news that he has been ruled out of the competition due to injury. That leaves a gap for Fasogbon to step into.
Selections: Afolabi Fasogbon, Joe Heyes, Will Stuart
LCK
Ben Bamber, Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Charlie Ewels, Nick Isiekwe Maro Itoje, George Martin
The definite inclusions for this group are Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum. Behind them, Alex Coles has taken advantage of George Martin's unavailability and has proven himself as a legitimate test player with room to grow. The aforementioned George Martin is still a doubt due to an injury he suffered early last year so the 4th spot is wide open. Nick Isiekwe has seemingly fallen down the England pecking order in recent times so if experience is needed Charlie Ewels would be the pick. However, I think there are a couple of younger locks that are deserving of a call-up. Clark toured the Americas with England in the summer and has been a bright spot for Gloucester in a difficult period for the team. Ben Bamber is the wildcard. The Sale Sharks lock stands at 6'9" and 134kg making him the idealised version of what Eddie Jones would call a "test match animal". Clark is a good player, but Bamber could make a bang at the next level with an uncoachable point of difference.
Selections: Ben Bamber, Ollie Chessum, Alex Coles, Maro Itoje
Back Row
Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Will Evans, Ben Earl, Greg Fisilau, Ted Hill, Emeka Ilione, Jack Kenningham, Tom Pearson, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill
This is by far the trickiest group to select. Let's start with some obvious inclusions: Sam Underhill, Henry Pollock, Tom Curry and Ben Earl all walk into this squad. Guy Pepper impressed over the course of the Autumn Nations series and looks to have almost nailed down the blindside flanker position. Will Evans, Ben Curry and Jack Kenningham are the remaining classic 7s in this group. Ben Curry is the best of that trio but his fitness is a question once again. Kenningham has played for the England A team so is next in line, but he may be crowded out by the sheer volume of options at Steve Borthwick's disposal.
Tom Willis was not missed in the Autumn but his surprising exit from the England team still left a gap in terms of bulk in the back row. The players who could fill that gap are: Chandler Cunningham-South, Greg Fisilau, Ted Hill, Emeka Ilione, Tom Pearson and Ethan Roots. Ilione looks set to miss out due to injury but everyone else is still in play. Ted Hill still deserves a proper chance in an England squad and will be in my group once again, whilst Cunningham-South will make it as a result of his unique physical presence. Fisilau has been knocking on the door for a while and looks to have finally begun knocking it down. He deserves a shot and should get his chance this year. Roots and Pearson are good but not quite at the level of the others.
Selections: Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Greg Fisilau, Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Sam Underhill
Scrum-half
Charlie Bracken, Lucas Friday, Alex Mitchell, Jack van Poortvliet, Will Porter Raffi Quirke, Harry Randall, Ben Spencer
Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer are the best scrum-halves in the country and walk into this squad. The competition behind them is fascinating. Bracken and Friday are exciting prospects that should probably be in the conversation for England A at this point. Will Porter is an outsider who is unlikely to make the squad whilst Quirke, Randall and Van Poortvliet are right in the mix. Quirke always seems to be in contention for England but has struggled to remain fit. He is currently healthy and therefore has a very real shot at making the team. Personally, if Harry Randall can keep gaining minutes with Bristol he is my favourite of the group. Quirke is electric but is also too inconsistent at time whilst Van Poortvliet sometimes lacks an X-factor. It just comes down to personal preference.
Selections: Alex Mitchell, Harry Randall, Ben Spencer
Fly-half
Charlie Atkinson, George Ford, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Billy Searle, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith
Choosing who will start at fly-half is a tricky decision, but deciding who makes the overall squad at this position is quite simple. Owen Farrell is yet to find the form that he had when he was England's talisman whilst Searle and Atkinson are not close to the others in terms of performance or ability at this point. I can't understand why Atkinson still isn't starting ahead of Byrne at Gloucester but hopefully that will change in the near future.
Selections: George Ford, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith
Centre
Seb Atkinson, Oscar Beard, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Lawrence, Luke Northmore, Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade
Centre is perhaps the most difficult position to predict. Finding a balance in midfield has been one of the biggest challenges that Borthwick has faced in his tenure. From this group, Slade and Lawrence have been the most consistent selections, but there are still questions over the balance that they bring as a duo. In the summer the absence of Ollie Lawrence opened the door for Seb Atkinson to step in and he acquitted himself well. However, he then missed the Autumn Nations series allowing Max Ojomoh to make a huge splash in the 12 shirt. Fraser Dingwall has also performed well in that jersey and is firmly in the mix. Beard, Northmore and Ma'asi-White are 3 outsiders that all have a shot at making the squad. Elliot Daly could be selected in this group or the back 3 group but he is in the squad either way. It should also be mentioned that Tommy Freeman, who I have listed as a back 3 player, could continue his move inside to 13 from the wing.
Slade and Lawrence are still reliable options in midfield and both are in good form. Ojomoh and Atkinson are both more natural inside centres than those two and have earned their spots with strong performances last year. Daly's versatility means that he is still a valuable asset to this squad.
Selections: Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade
Back 3
Henry Arundell, Noah Caluori, Joe Carpenter, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, George Hendy, Will Muir, Cadan Murley, Adam Radwan, Tom Roebuck, Freddie Steward
This can be split into two groups - fullbacks and wingers. The fullbacks are: Steward, Carpenter and Furbank. Carpenter has struggled with injuries this season so is behind the others. Steward and Furbank should both make the squad. They are polar opposites in terms of playing style so this comes down to a matter of preference.
There are a plethora of options on the wings but there are a couple of clear selections. Freeman and Feyi-Waboso are easily the best wingers in the country so the battle will be behind them. Roebuck has become a trusted part of Borthwick's team and is perfectly suited for the new kicking rules that World Rugby brought in a few years ago. His aerial dominance gives England a serious edge over their opposition. Arundell and Radwan have developed nicely into well-rounded wingers as well as being uniquely gifted athletes. Hassell-Collins, Hendy and Murley are all unlucky to miss out whilst Caluori is still a little bit too green.
Selections: Henry Arundell, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Adam Radwan, Tom Roebuck, Freddie Steward
My full squad
LHP: Fin Baxter, Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd
HKR: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, Gabriel Oghre
THP: Afolabi Fasogbon, Joe Heyes, Will Stuart
LCK: Ben Bamber, Ollie Chessum, Alex Coles, Maro Itoje(C)
Back row: Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Greg Fisilau, Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Sam Underhill
Scrum-half: Alex Mitchell, Harry Randall, Ben Spencer
Fly-half: George Ford, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith
Centre: Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade
Back 3: Henry Arundell, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Adam Radwan, Tom Roebuck, Freddie Steward
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