England Six Nations Squad 2025

[Rugbyfan564]

So the team for Ire. I'll guess at:

1. Genge mainly through lack of competition

2. LCD - going well

3. Stuart - improving

4. Itoje - established, but will captaincy inspire or drag on performance?

5. Martin. Don't think we've seen the best of him for a while.

6, 7, 8. Genuinely no idea. Will guess at CCS, T Curry and Earl. Could just as easily be Chessum, B Curry and Willis.

9. Mitchell if fit

10. M Smith. Pls not at 15

11. Freeman

Centres I guess he'll start Lawrence and Slade but they've never hugely gelled so suspect others will be tried during the course of the Championship.

14. Murley - in form and Sleightholme has injury question marks.

15. Steward. Ire won't be daft enough to play to his strengths and will look to exploit his weaknesses. Realistically though, who else?

Baxter, Dan, Heyes, Chessum, Willis, JvP, F Smith, Roebuck.

JvP has pulled out injured and won't be available for the Ireland match.

Not sure he will leave out so many CC players. Already Ford will likely be left out. Will he want to leave out anymore? And also have multiple ones as bench options behind non CC players.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

What a load of old Pollocks.

"….England A game capped me, so unfortunately for the next 3 years I will be trying to push for that England squad".

Just further evidence that players are generally best kept away from the press

Thats a very poor choice of words. I myself have divided loyalties between England and Scotland but once you have decided which one you are going to play for you need to show in words and actions that you are committed to them. Borthwick would be justified in not selecting him or at least having a serious conversation with him about it.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Thats a very poor choice of words. I myself have divided loyalties between England and Scotland but once you have decided which one you are going to play for you need to show in words and actions that you are committed to them. Borthwick would be justified in not selecting him or at least having a serious conversation with him about it.

The clue's in the name!

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Thats a very poor choice of words. I myself have divided loyalties between England and Scotland but once you have decided which one you are going to play for you need to show in words and actions that you are committed to them. Borthwick would be justified in not selecting him or at least having a serious conversation with him about it.

If you listen to the interview it doesn't come across the same way. He was basically trying not to be rude to Jim H rather than him not being set on England. Despite having two Scottish parents he seems pretty set on England.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Keep players away from clowns with podcasts

 

[Which Tyler]

I see Ruck, Planet Rugby et al are shocked, shocked I say, that Gabby Logan's son might choose Scotland over England...
Logan you say?
I do t suppose he has a father does he?

 

[Saintjay]

Thats a very poor choice of words. I myself have divided loyalties between England and Scotland but once you have decided which one you are going to play for you need to show in words and actions that you are committed to them. Borthwick would be justified in not selecting him or at least having a serious conversation with him about it.

Justified in not selecting him over a choice of words on a podcast. Christ he's not said anything offensive.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

I see Ruck, Planet Rugby et al are shocked, shocked I say, that Gabby Logan's son might choose Scotland over England...
Logan you say?
I do t suppose he has a father does he?

He is also eligible for Wales as well of course.

 

[Jimbo]

OK, I really should know better, but I'll bite…..

If the tone had been more, we've not been far off and are hell bent on turning narrow losses into wins then fine. But saying if we get our act together we can beat anyone and implying a possible GS (or at least giving journos the ammunition to do so) will be perceived by many as outright arrogant or deluded. We haven't remotely been near a ***le let alone a GS in ages and only a tiny minority of the squad have the remotest idea what it takes from 2016. If you're going to make bold statements at least do some from a position of strength - for the most part we're a team that's figured out a way to lose, not win, against decent opposition. And that's before you think about where we stand in the rankings vs Ire and Fra or Sco's recent record against us.

Taking about Ireland specifically he then goes on to say that's the kind of match that gets the best out of him and the team. What, away 6N fixtures against decent opposition? During Itoje's career we've won 6N games once in Fra (2016) and once in Ire (2019, a very good performance). Record a bit better in Sco although we've lost the last 2 since winning in 2020….since when all 3 of those countries have stormed the HQ barricades at least once, twice in the case of Sco and in record style by Fra. I hope it turns round but at the moment the win v Ire is very much the exception to the rule, not solid roots.

All this is of precisely no consequence, but that's why it grated. And getting disproportionately annoyed by stuff like this also explains why I generally avoid interviews like the plague!!

I get your point but it's upto you how you chose to interpret words, ultimately I want a leader to back his team and feel they have the capacity to beat teams rather than admit defeat before the whilstles even gone. The most frustrating part of it all for me is England consistently being worse than the some of their parts in recent years amongst other things like strange selections and some level of poisoned regime, I don't think he did it in an overly cocky or arrogant way, hopefully the relatively poor AI (in terms of results) has served as a further humbling the team can come out the right side of.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I get your point but it's upto you how you chose to interpret words, ultimately I want a leader to back his team and feel they have the capacity to beat teams rather than admit defeat before the whilstles even gone. The most frustrating part of it all for me is England consistently being worse than the some of their parts in recent years amongst other things like strange selections and some level of poisoned regime, I don't think he did it in an overly cocky or arrogant way, hopefully the relatively poor AI (in terms of results) has served as a further humbling the team can come out the right side of.

OK fine, we've got slightly different takes on it.

But I think we can agree that Itoje has a hell of a job on his hands. He's a virgin captain who's barely held the reins at club level, let alone internationally. Some new players, a coaching regime that's not top tier elite - which the players will know, plus confidence running low after a succession of defeats.

And then we have the three strongest teams first up, starting with Ire away who, although they have a few issues, will be hell bent on revenge and should still be plenty good enough at home. Then it's Fra and you don't even want to think about what happened last time they visited London - we went close in Paris, but with Dupont and N'tamack now back in the saddle and a load of their Toulouse mates absolutely flying a repeat's not impossible. And then the Scots who haven't lost in their last 3 visits to HQ.

And Itoje also has to hold his personal form and show the way in retaining discipline. This isn't going to be easy for him. And if he is the brilliant choice that so many pundits are now saying, why did George get the gig ahead of him?

I hope Itoje is an inspired choice and succeeds - I want us to start winning again. But a big part of me thinks he's being set up to fail.

 

[Nudger]

Make engand arrogant again
Just back it up please

 

[OllyM97]

Make engand arrogant again
Just back it up please

I hope we come out next week with a "chip on the shoulder" mentality. Let's be honest the Irish will be getting ahead of themselves as usual saying how we don't have a prayer and that not one of our players would get in their team. They don't see England as a threat, we're just a speed bump on the way to the really big games against Scotland and France. Let's go there with our backs up and feeling like we've got a point to prove. There's no excuses for not being at it next week, we'll have had two weeks preparation and the coaches should have been focusing on this game for months so the game-plan should be right.

I honestly think this makes or breaks our entire tournament - get beaten badly by Ireland and the France and Scotland games look mightily tough for a team low on wins - we could 0 from 3 and scrambling to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy and Wales. However, if we finally turn potential into a result against Ireland we would go into France at home with nothing to lose and with the confidence of winning a big game behind us, this team could really fly with having 3 home games on the bounce before Cardiff and we could easily be going for a Championship against Wales.

 

[big ginger 8]

I hope we come out next week with a "chip on the shoulder" mentality. Let's be honest the Irish will be getting ahead of themselves as usual saying how we don't have a prayer and that not one of our players would get in their team. They don't see England as a threat, we're just a speed bump on the way to the really big games against Scotland and France. Let's go there with our backs up and feeling like we've got a point to prove. There's no excuses for not being at it next week, we'll have had two weeks preparation and the coaches should have been focusing on this game for months so the game-plan should be right.

I honestly think this makes or breaks our entire tournament - get beaten badly by Ireland and the France and Scotland games look mightily tough for a team low on wins - we could 0 from 3 and scrambling to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy and Wales. However, if we finally turn potential into a result against Ireland we would go into France at home with nothing to lose and with the confidence of winning a big game behind us, this team could really fly with having 3 home games on the bounce before Cardiff and we could easily be going for a Championship against Wales.

Please find me the Irish fans more worried about Scotland than England because they're certainly not in any circle I'm a part of.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Please find me the Irish fans more worried about Scotland than England because they're certainly not in any circle I'm a part of.

I don't know. Scotland are a good team and good teams don't just get beat 11 times in a row without a hell of a fight.

 

[Groundhog]

I hope we come out next week with a "chip on the shoulder" mentality. Let's be honest the Irish will be getting ahead of themselves as usual saying how we don't have a prayer and that not one of our players would get in their team. They don't see England as a threat, we're just a speed bump on the way to the really big games against Scotland and France. Let's go there with our backs up and feeling like we've got a point to prove. There's no excuses for not being at it next week, we'll have had two weeks preparation and the coaches should have been focusing on this game for months so the game-plan should be right.

I honestly think this makes or breaks our entire tournament - get beaten badly by Ireland and the France and Scotland games look mightily tough for a team low on wins - we could 0 from 3 and scrambling to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy and Wales. However, if we finally turn potential into a result against Ireland we would go into France at home with nothing to lose and with the confidence of winning a big game behind us, this team could really fly with having 3 home games on the bounce before Cardiff and we could easily be going for a Championship against Wales.

Find me an Irish person saying England don't have a prayer and I'll give your least favorite uncle a handjob.

I think the general mood of the nation is Irish people are disproportionately wary of England given last years result . On the other hand we probably don't show Scotland nearly enough respect because our record against them is insane.

That's not to knock the chip on the shoulder mentality. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Edit: didn't realise I'd plagiarised BG8s post. Mine is more provocative tho so delete his mods

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I hope we come out next week with a "chip on the shoulder" mentality. Let's be honest the Irish will be getting ahead of themselves as usual saying how we don't have a prayer and that not one of our players would get in their team. They don't see England as a threat, we're just a speed bump on the way to the really big games against Scotland and France. Let's go there with our backs up and feeling like we've got a point to prove. There's no excuses for not being at it next week, we'll have had two weeks preparation and the coaches should have been focusing on this game for months so the game-plan should be right.

I honestly think this makes or breaks our entire tournament - get beaten badly by Ireland and the France and Scotland games look mightily tough for a team low on wins - we could 0 from 3 and scrambling to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy and Wales. However, if we finally turn potential into a result against Ireland we would go into France at home with nothing to lose and with the confidence of winning a big game behind us, this team could really fly with having 3 home games on the bounce before Cardiff and we could easily be going for a Championship against Wales.

First game always sets the mood.

And we're playing away against the 6N champions, ranked 5 places above us, who scored 6 more tries and conceded 6 fewer than anyone else in last year's 6N. And I think will have a stronger squad than the AI with the likes of Sheehan and Furlong back? Yes, we deprived them of the GS last year which was great, but they'll be hell bent on revenge. A good result / performance would be a big boost, but hard to see anything other than a fairly routine home win.

One thing's for sure though, having previously been going OK, we conceded 4 tries per game in the AI and if we don't fix our defence it could be a long championship.

 

[AlRums]

Find me an Irish person saying England don't have a prayer and I'll give your least favorite uncle a handjob.

I think the general mood of the nation is Irish people are disproportionately wary of England given last years result . On the other hand we probably don't show Scotland nearly enough respect because our record against them is insane.

That's not to knock the chip on the shoulder mentality. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Edit: didn't realise I'd plagiarised BG8s post. Mine is more provocative tho so delete his mods

Lucky all my uncles are long dead.