England enhanced EPS contracts winners and losers: ‘Ultimate Test player’ rewarded but key starters overlooked
17 players have been handed an enhanced EPS contract
England Rugby have confirmed 17 players will be handed the groundbreaking enhanced EPS contracts, and it gives us further indication of Steve Borthwick’s long-term plans.
The new contracts now give the England head coach the final say in sports science and medical issues, but it also points to those within his plans in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup.
There is a decent mixture of both experience and quality within the ranks, but there are also some surprising omissions within the list. Whilst there might be some disappointed players, there are still eight further deals on the line in the future.
Here is our take on the winners and losers from the enhanced EPS contracts selection.
Winners
Ollie Chessum
Leicester Tigers lock Ollie Chessum hasn’t featured for England in some time, but is given an enhanced EPS deal. Whilst this might raise a couple of eyebrows, the versatile forward is one of the most talented players at Borthwick’s disposal and will add plenty of quality to the squad moving forward.
Chessum is also the perfect age profile to continue developing, and with the increased medical care he will get from England he could be a mainstay in Borthwick’s squad for some time.
Theo Dan
Saracens hooker Theo Dan is certainly a brilliant player and has excelled in recent seasons – particularly in the bronze medal match against Argentina in the World Cup – however, he has only started three of his 19 games to date for England and sits second in the pecking order behind Jamie George at hooker.
He is certainly the future starting hooker as and when George retires, though, so it is a clever move from Borthwick to get him tied down.
Tom Curry
Like Chessum, Sale Sharks flanker Tom Curry has had his fair share of injury issues in the past year, but he could benefit greatly from the medical support from England with the new contract.
Curry’s absence has allowed plenty of other back-rowers to make a case to feature in Borthwick’s squad, but we all know Curry is the ultimate Test player, and has time and time again proved to be one of England’s best players.
Henry Slade
What a difference a year makes for Henry Slade. The Exeter centre was omitted from the World Cup squad last year, but a year later is one of the first 17 to earn an enhanced EPS contract.
It isn’t without merit though. Slade has rediscovered his best form since his World Cup heartbreak and has once again established himself as the locked-in 13 for Borthwick.
Premiership
These new enhanced EPS contracts are a massive, massive win for the Premiership clubs. There’s no hiding the mass exodus out of the English top flight over the past few seasons, but these new enhanced EPS contracts should keep the core members of Borthwick’s England squad plying their trade on these shores for the foreseeable future.
Keeping them within the Premiership is also massively important to the growth of the league on the whole, as it continues to get back to its peak. These players are pulls within themselves, but keeping the best players in the league will just keep the quality high for as long as they’re in the division.
Steve Borthwick
An obvious one, but Borthwick is a huge winner from this. The point of these enhanced EPS contracts is to give the England boss greater control over the core group of his squad, and he now has that core group named for all to see. These players are now, essentially, his players as well as their clubs.
Losers
Harlequins trio
Chandler Cunningham-South, Fin Baxter and Alex Dombrandt are three big omissions from the enhanced EPS contracts list. The latter two both made their debuts this past year, and have thoroughly impressed along the way. Both Baxter and Cunningham-South also started games on England’s summer tour to Japan and New Zealand, and were likely to be involved in that starting XV once again this autumn. They are also two of the youngest players in the squad, so tying them down now and giving them the benefits that come with an EPS deal could have been a really clever move from Borthwick.
Likewise with Dombrandt. His return to the England squad this autumn – after limited Premiership action may I add – clearly shows he is in Borthwick’s thoughts moving forward, and he is still at a decent age profile where he could feature in the squad beyond the 2027 World Cup.
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Experienced front-rowers
Potentially omissions based on age, but experienced duo Dan Cole and Joe Marler have both missed out on the enhanced EPS contracts despite still being part of Borthwick’s squad. The pair have been brilliant servants for England over their Test careers, but their omissions from the list could be a sign they are coming to the official end of their time in Borthwick’s squad.
Freddie Steward
Just as Slade has gone from the wilderness to mainstay in the Test team, Freddie Steward has fallen behind in the pecking order and hasn’t been offered an enhanced EPS contract as a result. The Leicester Tigers full-back was Borthwick’s go-to man when he took over as England boss, and started the majority of the World Cup fixtures, but has seen himself overlooked in this new-look attack.
The full-back has been in decent form for Leicester this season – the best we’ve seen of him for a year in honesty – so there certainly is time for him to prove to Borthwick he warrants a contract.
Bath duo
Like the Quins lot, Bath men Will Stuart and Sam Underhill might feel aggrieved to not have an enhanced EPS contract. Both players started in the Tests against New Zealand during the summer, and look likely to be options again this autumn. Underhill has been a consistent performer for England during his Test career and has impressed in virtually every game. He has also had his injury issues and could have benefitted from the extra support from the medical staff.
With Stuart, whilst he hasn’t quite taken his chance at the highest level just yet, tighthead is a problem area for England right now and getting him locked down as the possible long-term starter would have been a huge boost for the scrum. He is in good touch for Bath this season, however, and if he has a good autumn could get one in the future.
Scrum-half scrap?
There’s only one scrum-half in that 17-man list, and he’s unavailable for England this autumn. That means the trio currently in camp – Ben Spencer, Jack van Poortvliet and Harry Randall – still need to prove they can be part of Borthwick’s long-term plans.
There is certainly a space open as the number two number nine, with both Spencer and Randall coming off the bench at various points on the summer tour, but they will all need a good autumn if they want to show they are worth an enhanced EPS contract.
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