England Six Nations Squad 2025

[Geordie]

Kenningham 100% deserves to be in the mix.

Cassius Cleaves might also be on the radar given he's a recent U20 grad.

Ah I forgot about Kenningham actually and I agree hes developed into a very good player. I personally rate him higher than Pearson so yes, I would include him.

 

[Geordie]

The A team I want it used as a stepping stone for players - whether that's guys in the full squad who are not being used and you want to see how they perform outside of their club environment (e.g. AOF, Beard, maybe Roebuck) or fresh faces you want to see for the same reasons

Wouldn't mind seeing a cap limit on it tbh,
10 cap hard limit, or 5 in the past year
Keep it purely developmental, but keep the door open for guys like OHC or Dingwall who have gotten a couple of caps but continued to develop since getting dropped but you don't end up with like Ford dropping down to get minutes (.....or Ewels)

To be honest I'm just glad to see the A team back in operation. It's the stepping stone (taster) for a few lads to see if they can move up from Club to International. As long as it benefits the Seniors going forward I'm happy however it's used.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I want to see if Cleaves will get there, when he goes he's absolutely electric, definitely one to watch

Plus he's got a great name

 

[Rugbyfan564]

English rugby union bosses are considering a "rookie league" that could be introduced at U20 level as soon as next season, with new data reinforcing the belief that the best youngsters in the country are still not playing enough. (Daily Telegraph)

That could be an interesting development if it happens and works as they intend.

 

[Which Tyler]

It'd be interesting to see their data, and their definition of "enough" - given that more and more U20s are getting Prem and PRC experience.
The obvious solution though, is to NOT kill the PRC, and maybe put an "experience" cap on it (for the Prem clubs, at least).

PRL seem be saying:
Problem: our young adults aren't getting enough game time (but just... trust us on this)*
Problem: we have a large gap in the calendar when we're not receiving any gate money, during the AIs and 6N

Solution: kill the competition designed to give young adults game time, which currently fills the large gap in the calendar during the AIs and 6N
Solution: start a new competition, which fewer fans will have any interest in, so that our young adults can get game time and we can fill our stadia during the AIs and 6N


*this bit may be being unfair - if they're actually sharing their data, and it's accurate and contradicts my subjective view.

ETA: This should surely be in the PRC thread, or a new one of its own - doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with England's 6N squad for 2025

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I'm massively for it tbh

 

[Scotty]

English rugby union bosses are considering a "rookie league" that could be introduced at U20 level as soon as next season, with new data reinforcing the belief that the best youngsters in the country are still not playing enough. (Daily Telegraph)

That could be an interesting development if it happens and works as they intend.

I'd rather something like an under 22/23 league come so it captures the U20s + young players past that trying to make it or just made it into the first team.

Some guys are playing for first team/England by Early 20s and some don't get as much of a chance to show what they can do post U20s. Pollock at u20 was in the senior England squad but for those players that don't get that much first team gametime for club this could give a real stepping stone. It also has the added bennefit of pushing the current holder of the shirt in the first team to do better because he is watching this young lad tear it up week in week out ready to step up.

 

[Rinkadink]

Didn't realise he'd missed that many tackles. That's poor from a back row.

Just catching up with this thread, whilst 5 missed surprised me the much lauded Curry managed to miss 3, completing 11. The maligned Genge made 11 and missed 0 in less time on the park.

People tend to see what they want to see.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Would like to see a U23 league

Start in September play each team once and end in December with finals, then in January teams can choose to use them in the seniors if they impressed, loan them to National clubs, let them play in the BUCS or even buy them from other clubs (Could say a fix buy out fee of 30K for players).

Can open it up to teams like Doncaster, Cov and Ealing who have their own academies

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Pollock getting in to this smaller squad. Clear signs about who is going to the A match.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Weird to frame it that way - I wonder if it's an EPS rule hangover from when players had to be released back to their clubs and only a certain number retained
So they've named a 28man squad, but then....kept other players in there too, who will undoubtedly be rehabbing and training with the squad, just not in the paperwork

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Just catching up with this thread, whilst 5 missed surprised me the much lauded Curry managed to miss 3, completing 11. The maligned Genge made 11 and missed 0 in less time on the park.

People tend to see what they want to see.

Yeah but there's also more to it than that.

(ESPN has Genge down as missing 1, but we won't split hairs over that).

If part of the defensive strategy is for the first up to harry and disrupt rather than necessarily completing all the tackles themselves then it's probably unsurprising that the 2 open sides are most often in the thick of the action and do miss a few. It's a theory.

On Genge, I've not been outspoken, but there are things to think about.

He has given away 2 pens in each of the first 2 games. So that's 4 of the 17 we've conceded (Curry none).

Genge's USP is supposed to be his baby rhino ball in hand stuff but he made 8m from 10 carries v Ire and just 4m from 3 v Fra. Both French props passed twice as much as him (and Stuart) and likewise Porter in the Ire game.

But beyond the stats, Curry made a difference to the tone of Saturday's game. How often recently has Genge really positively influenced the game or was in contention for MoM?

He's the vice captain and closing in on 70 caps so we should be expecting him to be leading the way. He's still our best option at LH, but I'm not really seeing that influence and leadership piece on the pitch.

Just feels like controlling his anger has taken an edge from his game and likewise moving to Bristol probably hasn't helped, international teams just don't play that way.

Hopefully, he'll respond to Baxter's emergence.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Has Genge's defence really come under that much scrutiny this series?
It was poor in the autumn but I thought he'd had a good 6N so far

"people see what they want to see" is a weird thing to say about Curry who has been probably our best player, and one of the top performers of the 6N in general

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Has Genge's defence really come under that much scrutiny this series?
It was poor in the autumn but I thought he'd had a good 6N so far

Defence specifically I agree with this.

 

[mikebrownsauce1512]

Has Genge's defence really come under that much scrutiny this series?
It was poor in the autumn but I thought he'd had a good 6N so far

"people see what they want to see" is a weird thing to say about Curry who has been probably our best player, and one of the top performers of the 6N in general

Curry has been immense, definitely knocking on the door of a starting lions spot.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lot of fullbacks in there - hopefully Carpenter starts and Hendy on the wing, don't rate Hodge

Decent side all told though - Luke Green a surprise name

No Atkinson or Hartley is annoying but Woodward, Ojomoh and Butt are good inclusions
Have we gone fully the opposite direction and only have 12s, no 13s?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Would go with

1. Haffar, 2. Langdon, 3. Green
4. Lockett, 5. Tizard
6. Pearson, 7. Kenningham, 8. Alfie
9. JVP, 10. Atkinson
12. Woodward, 13. Ojomoh
11. OHC, 14. Hendy, 15. Carpenter

16. Oghre, 17. Brantingham, 18. Kloska
19. Capstick, 20. Fisilau
21. Porter, 22. Bailey, 23. Butt

 

[Geordie]

There looks good potential in most positions...though lock looks bare. Guess they're hoping Kpoku, Sodike, Burrows etc from the next batch down come through well....

 

[Rinkadink]

Yeah but there's also more to it than that.

(ESPN has Genge down as missing 1, but we won't split hairs over that).

England vs France - Player Statistics - Six Nations 2025 - 8 Feb, 2025 - ESPN

Get a summary of the England vs France, Six Nations 2025 8 Feb, 2025 rugby match.

www.espn.co.uk

I mean. We could as ESPN said he missed 0. It's not really the pont, it's that people do see what they want. Stuart getting praise for half the tackles and a turnover conceded. You want to argue otherwise, it's whatever. Nothing will convince you, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

What I find interesting is ... A bunch wanted England props to scrummage before anything else, they got that with Genge and Stuart going up against what was alleged to be the best in the competition in France and Ireland yet coming out even at worst, or on top of their opposite number. Now they come under criticism for not doing enough elsewhere, even though the same people complained at props attempting offloads to people who aren't supporting or making a run and getting isolated.

is a weird thing to say about Curry

I wasn't explicitly referring to Curry, I am talking in general with people's perceptions and bias.

For the record I absolutely agree with Curry being one of England's better players (if not the best player v France), I also think the front row is up there in the opening matches along with some other individuals too.

 

[Scotty]

Lot of fullbacks in there - hopefully Carpenter starts and Hendy on the wing, don't rate Hodge

Decent side all told though - Luke Green a surprise name

No Atkinson or Hartley is annoying but Woodward, Ojomoh and Butt are good inclusions
Have we gone fully the opposite direction and only have 12s, no 13s?

I guessed Tuima and Arther Clark would be there tbh