Second row
Players being considered:
Maro Itoje
George Martin
Ollie Chessum
Alex Coles
Jonny Hill
Nick Isiekwe
Charlie Ewels
Joe Launbury
Joe Batley
Ben Bamber
Hugh Tizard
Arthur Clark
There are three players who are going to be selected for the squad. Ollie Chessum, George Martin and Maro Itoje will be the core of this group but there is fierce competition to take the final place in the squad. Joe Launchbury is probably past it as far as international rugby goes. Charlie Ewels and Jonny Hill have been regularly selected in England squads but I don't view either as being good enough for test rugby. Clark, Batley and Tizard fall into the category of player that I would be happy to see in an England shirt but are probably just behind other players. As for Ben Bamber, I am a big fan of his and think he could play at this level but maybe not quite yet. The battle for the fourth spot is between isiekwe and Coles. Coles will probaly get the nod from Bortwhicj but I am personally a big fan of Isiekwe, I think he is a silky player who brings a physical presence and is a reliable performer. That, and his ability to play at blindside flanker means that he has the perfect attributes to be a good bench option.
Selected: Maro Itoje, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Nick Isiekwe
Honourable mention: Alex Coles
Back row
Players considered for selection:
Tom Curry
Ben Curry
Chandler Cunningham-South
Ted Hill
Ethan Roots
Will Evans
Guy Pepper
Tom Pearson
Henry Pollock
Ben Earl
Zach Mercer
Tom Willis
Alex Dombrandt
Greg Fisilau
The back row is probably England's strongest position group. That is despite and injury to Sam Underhill who is out of the Six Nations. There is fierce competition amongst all three positions in the back row. Blindside flanker is a position that has been filled by the likes of Ollie Chessum, Cunningham-South and Tom Curry. However, there are excellent specialist sixes for Steve Borthwick to select. Ethan Roots impressed in earl starts in the 2023 Six Nations when Borthwick took over, is still young and has been in good form recently for Exeter. Ted Hill must be the uncapped player who most deserves a shot at international rugby. He is big, powerful and legitimately fast. He has been a stand-out player in a crowded Bath back-line and surely deserves a call-up now.
The other positions specialists fighting for places are the number eights: Tom Willis, Zach Mercer, Alex Dombrandt and Greg Fisilau. Alex Dombrandt has had many chances to impress under Borthwick but has underwhelmed. He has shown he can still run deadly lines at test level but he lacks the ability to break the gain line and dominate contact in the way that I would like my number 8 to do. Zach Mercer has been unable to get a real shot under Borthwick whilst Fisilau is an exciting prospect but probably isn't quite ready yet. Tom Willlis has been exceptional this season for Saracens and could bring proper physically back to the English pack which is something they have lacked at times. It is also notable that he starts ahead of Ben Earl in the 8 shirt at Saracens.
One problem shared by the position specialists is the flexibility of the likes of Cunningham-South and Tom Curry who can cover all three positions in the back row. Cunningham-South has been in mixed form this season but is what Eddie Jones would call a "test match animal". Elsewhere, the Curry brothers are both strong candidates as well as Northampton duo Pearson and Pollock. Pollock is definitely a name for the future although I would argue that he has proved to be good enough now. Guy Pepper is another exciting youngster who would be good enough should he be selected this year.
Selected: Tom Curry, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Earl, Tom Willis, Ted Hill, Ben Curry, Henry Pollock
Honourable mention: Tom Pearson
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