England Six Nations Squad 2025

[BPM]

And was also banned

 

[mikebrownsauce1512]

Actually - this raises an interesting point. When relative lack of familiarity in combinations seem to be an issue, what would an England side built on more established units look like?

For example, I think this is a pretty good side (yes I know some of these are injured).

1. Obano
2. George
3. Stuart
4. Itoje
5. Isiekwe
6. Chessum
7. Earl
8. Willis
9. Mitchell
10. F. Smith
11. Freeman
12. Ojomoh
13. Lawrence
14. Sleightholme
15. Furbank

Obviously George doesn't play for Bath but he'd be throwing to 3, possibly 4 familiar jumpers.

I went for Chessum as the most realistic option and the closest in playing style to Theo McFarland.

The rest are club units. Maybe some merit in this approach?

Would be interesting to see

 

[Which Tyler]

And was also banned

He has played but on the wing.

Butt?
He missed the PRC during the AIs from a ban, and has played wing once this season - during his run of 6 starts when people were wondering if he'd be an option for England.
Post-AIs, he's had 1 start (Lawrence's EPS rest-day) and 1 bench spot

 

[Saintjay]

Seems like England do better with one strong dominant club as the nucleus. Saracens, Leicester etc.

No prem club seem head and shoulders above the others and nobody is really setting the game on fire.

Not sure if it's the spead of players, the clubs not as good as they were, players not performing or a combination of all three.

 

[higgik]

True enough, but he's been first choice since then even when coming off an injury with no game time

I'm hoping his switch to 12, for England, means they are actually looking for a 12 as they now view Lawrence (rightfully) as a 13 - I still expect Slade to start all 6N games though, but hope Ojomoh is in the EPS and, hopefully, on the bench at least once or twice (and starts the A game, and if not then Atkinson plz))

Would work well with M Smith, as Ojomoh and Lawrence play with Russell.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Seems like England do better with one strong dominant club as the nucleus. Saracens, Leicester etc.

No prem club seem head and shoulders above the others and nobody is really setting the game on fire.

Not sure if it's the spead of players, the clubs not as good as they were, players not performing or a combination of all three.

Just took our last proper match at random, the Boks. 7 different clubs represented in the starting XV, 8 in the 23, maximum representation of 4. Can't be bothered to do the numbers but with regions etc I'd guess most other countries have greater concentrations which must give some degree of advantage.

 

[Geordie]

Well Italy has most of the squad at Benetton now, Ireland have been predominantly Leinster, what's the likes of Scotland, NZ etc. I imagine NZ was largely made up of The Crusaders for a time.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Seems like England do better with one strong dominant club as the nucleus. Saracens, Leicester etc.

No prem club seem head and shoulders above the others and nobody is really setting the game on fire.

Not sure if it's the spead of players, the clubs not as good as they were, players not performing or a combination of all three.

When both were cheating the system.

This is my 23 with minimal use of just 3 clubs.

Obano George Stuart
Itoje Isiekwe
Underhill Earl
Willis

Mitchell Fin S
Dingwall Lawrence
Sleightholme Freeman
Furbank

Dan
Manny
Davison
Coles
Pearson
Spencer
Burke (makes me sick)
Daly

Would that actually be any better though than a current England team with the brilliance of curry's, Chessum, Martin, IFW, Marcus ?

Is it that players play at different clubs or that the coaching for England is just shite.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh in line for England call-ups for Six Nations opener against Ireland

Steve Borthwick names his England squad for the opening match of the 2025 Six Nations at 11.30am on Tuesday, January 14; England face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in their opening game of the 2025 tournament on Saturday, February 1

www.skysports.com

Meanwhile Sir Clive Woodward wants Pollock to start and that Herbie Farnsworth should be poached from League. His full starting line up
'George Hendy, Ollie Sleightholme, Tommy Freeman, Fin Smith, Cadan Murley, Marcus Smith, Alex Mitchell; Asher Opoku-Foudjour, Theo Dan, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (capt), Ollie Chessum, Henry Pollock, Ben Earl, Tom Willis'

 

[TRF_Olyy]

No one's ever accused SCW of having a double digit IQ, that's for sure

 

[BPM]

Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh in line for England call-ups for Six Nations opener against Ireland

Steve Borthwick names his England squad for the opening match of the 2025 Six Nations at 11.30am on Tuesday, January 14; England face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in their opening game of the 2025 tournament on Saturday, February 1

www.skysports.com

Meanwhile Sir Clive Woodward wants Pollock to start and that Herbie Farnsaorth should be poached from League. His full starting line up
'George Hendy, Ollie Sleightholme, Tommy Freeman, Fin Smith, Cadan Murley, Marcus Smith, Alex Mitchell; Asher Opoku-Foudjour, Theo Dan, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (capt), Ollie Chessum, Henry Pollock, Ben Earl, Tom Willis'

So all back three players or 10s and no actual centres? Umm …

 

[BPM]

When both were cheating the system.

This is my 23 with minimal use of just 3 clubs.

Obano George Stuart
Itoje Isiekwe
Underhill Earl
Willis

Mitchell Fin S
Dingwall Lawrence
Sleightholme Freeman
Furbank

Dan
Manny
Davison
Coles
Pearson
Spencer
Burke (makes me sick)
Daly

Would that actually be any better though than a current England team with the brilliance of curry's, Chessum, Martin, IFW, Marcus ?

Is it that players play at different clubs or that the coaching for England is just shite.

Well to be fair, that's more or less what I was getting at yesterday on the club combination piece.

I only had 4 sides represented by including Chessum who I could have swapped out for Hill to make it just Bath, Saracens and Saints.

I can definitely see arguments for this kind of thinking. However, I'd still prefer to find room for Curry, Marcus and IFW.

The coaching does seem to be shite. However, some of the individual errors players make are baffling. We regularly see things like players going into contact with no support or players waiting for a pass when the 9 is at the bottom of the ruck. These are things coaches would roast you for at amateur level!

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Itoje could replace George as England captain for Six Nations

EXCLUSIVE BY NIK SIMON: Steve Borthwick names his squad on Tuesday lunchtime and there are understood to have been discussions about a change in England's leadership.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Shows central contracts could become even more of a mess if Cowan-Dickie starts ahead of not one but two centrally contracted players

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Telegraph say they are a few large significant surprises.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

'Some squad announcements come with few headlines. This is not one of those squad announcements.'

 

[Rugbyfan564]

The big headlines

• Maro Itoje named England captain
• Dan Cole omitted
• Tom Willis selected
• Henry Pollock not named in the squad

 

[Rugbyfan564]

'Maro Itoje will captain England for the first time as Steve Borthwick makes a radical call to his leadership group ahead of the upcoming Six Nations.

Itoje, who has assumed the Saracens captaincy for the first time this season, will take over from his club team-mate Jamie George who led the side after the 2023 World Cup.

Borthwick on Tuesday named Itoje, 30, as skipper of England's 36-player squad for the Six Nations, with George and Ellis Genge listed as vice-captains, but George Ford has been omitted from the senior leadership group.

There is no place for tighthead duo Dan Cole and Trevor Davison, lock Charlie Ewels, nor scrum-half Ben Spencer. Joe Heyes and Asher Opoku-Fordjour have been preferred at tighthead while, at lock, Borthwick will lean on the versatility of Ollie Chessum and Alex Coles. At scrum-half, Alex Mitchell, Jack van Poortvliet and Harry Randall will fight for the No 9 jersey.

Up front, No 8 Tom Willis is rewarded for his scintillating form for Saracens, where he will vie with Alex Dombrandt and club team-mate Ben Earl for the starting No 8 spot.

Harlequins duo Cadan Murley and Oscar Beard are the only uncapped players in Borthwick's squad, meaning there is no place for Northampton's promising flanker, Henry Pollock.

Seven players have been listed as joining the group for rehabilitation: Afo Fasogbon, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Furbank, Gabriel Ibitoye, Nick Isiekwe, Luke Northmore and Sam Underhill.'

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Yet another England squad selected with no inside centres. Its like the position doesn't exist in England.

 

[mikebrownsauce1512]

Telegraph say they are a few large significant surprises.

Yet another England squad selected with no inside centres. Its like the position doesn't exist in England.

Dingwall is in the squad but doubt he will see any game time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why not post the squad instead of soundbites?