England forward opens up on Steve Borthwick ‘trust’ and why enhanced Elite Player Squad contract is not a ‘guarantee’
Alex Coles (pictured) was one of five new players included on the England enhanced EPS list last month
Northampton Saints lock Alex Coles is under no illusion about the work that needs to be done to secure a World Cup spot, despite receiving his first enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contract from England.
After previously being dipped in and out of the Test squad after his debut in 2022, the towering forward has become a mainstay in the England squad in the past 12 months.
As a result, he was given one of 25 enhanced EPS contracts last month.
‘It was a really nice conversation’
“I just got a ring from him (Steve Borthwick) over the summer, chatted a bit about general stuff and then he just told me then,” Coles said. “It was quite a short conversation!
“But it was definitely good. I was a bit apprehensive because I knew those conversations were going on at the time, so when you get a ring from the boss, it’s always a bit nervy! It was a really nice conversation.
“I was pleased (to get the contract), and hopefully it represents him having a bit of trust in me. It doesn’t guarantee anything at all, but it gives you that extra motivation to keep wanting to work hard and trying to cement a place in the team and in the squad.”
His new contract, his first time on the enhanced list since they were introduced in 2024, feels like a symbolic showing of Coles’ new standing in the England squad, after arguably enjoying a breakthrough season at Test level.
Since the Americas tour in July 2025, Coles has been an ever-present in the England match-day 23 with a run of 15 consecutive Test appearances. In that time, he has also made 12 starts and played an average of 62 minutes-per-Test. He has also on dipped below 70 minutes of play on five occasions.
To put that even more into comparison, the 27-year-old made just seven Test appearances between 2022 and 2025, before returning to the side for Test One against Los Pumas last year.
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“It was very much fits and starts before (this run), coming off the bench here and there,” Coles said. “But it was that Argentina tour when the Lions boys were away when I got a chance to start a few Tests.
“That really gave me the belief and gave me the chance to show what I could contribute. To be able to continue that and be involved in the other games in the calendar year was amazing; it’s a massive goal of mine to represent my country as many times as I can.
“To do that consistently over the year and have all those experiences and memories; even though the results were pretty shaky at times, it was still awesome.
“Sometimes, all it can be is getting the opportunity to show what you’re about on a longer scale. Having the opportunity to do it for 80 minutes where you’re not feeling like you’ve just got 10 minutes to make an impact and potentially overthink things or overwork.
“I think it’s just the ability to show what I’ve been working on and have some time to actually be embedded in the team was massive.”
While he was quick to point out his new deal was by no means a guarantee of a place in Borthwick’s plans moving forward, Coles is now among the leading contenders to feature in the World Cup; but again, he’s trying not to look too far down the road just yet.
“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t in the back of my mind. A skill I’ve had to learn is setting long-term goals, and one of those is to play at the World Cup and help England win it, but also not let it cloud the importance of everyday (work). It’s a hard skill and it’s something I’ve had to try to work on to develop.
“You want to have that thing, that motivation, in the back of your head, but also be focused on the here and now; otherwise, you miss out on that training day which means your performance at the weekend isn’t as good. That can be a thing you let slip if you’re not razor-sharp with your focus and intent on each day.
“I’ve got those goals, but it’s really important that I stay present and that starts with focusing on this weekend.”