England predicted line-up: Steve Borthwick facing ‘almighty reshuffle’ after British and Irish Lions selection

Steve Borthwick was always going to be affected by Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad selection, but with 14 Englishmen headed down under this summer the England boss will have an almighty reshuffle on his hands. 

All 14 players, including bolter Henry Pollock, would have likely featured in his Test side had they been available for the Americas tour, but he will now need to create a virtually new-look side from scratch.

There will still be a core group within the squad, with the likes of Chandler Cunningham-South, Jamie George, George Ford, Ben Curry and Fraser Dingwall missing out on Lions selection, and he should be boosted by the returns of injured players like George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso as well; but around that he will have to either blood in new talent or bring players out from the international wilderness to make their mark.

With all these different factors to contend with, how might his match-day squad look this summer? Well, here is our take on a possible England 23.

15 George Furbank

Northampton star Furbank might be one of the players Farrell is keeping a spot open for in his Lions side, but should that not be the case he will certainly tour with England this summer. Furbank’s injury has robbed him of precious minutes this season, but on his return in the Champions Cup he proved exactly why he has become the nailed-on full-back for Borthwick. He brings fantastic playmaking skills to their backline, but crucially also possesses an eye for a gap and can flip a game on its head at any given minute. His leadership skills will also be a big thing given the fresh-faced outlook of this side.

14 Tom Roebuck

Sale Sharks ace Tom Roebuck looked incredibly comfortable in the England starting line-up against Wales, and will likely be back in it this summer. He is almost an exact replacement for Tommy Freeman out wide, with his aerial ability and explosive, powerful carrying, and that would just allow him to seamlessly settle into this starting XV. But, he is also a quality player in his own right too, and would offer serious X-factor to their attack.

13 Oscar Beard

Our first debutant now, in the form of Harlequins back Oscar Beard. The 23-year-old has been in the England mix for the past year, but this feels like a great time to finally give him that first cap. Beard has all the hallmarks of a quality Test centre, a powerful carry, speed and an eye for a gap, but his footwork is also a huge asset to him and could do some serious damage at Test level too. With the England midfield already going through a rebuild, with Henry Slade likely out of the picture this summer and Ollie Lawrence injured, this feels a really good time to blood in a new face.

12 Fraser Dingwall

He is arguably one of the form centres in Europe right now, and Dingwall will almost certainly be lining up in midfield for England this summer as a result. His understanding of the game and general rugby IQ is a really shrewd tool to have in your arsenal anyways, but he backs it up with some delicious playmaking skills as well – which makes him exactly the right man to play 12 in this side. His leadership skills will also be invaluable to Borthwick, and there could even be a vice-captaincy role ahead of him, too.

11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

This is a big call given he’s not played any rugby since December and the likes of Cadan Murley, Adam Radwan and Ollie Hassell-Collins are all in great form, but Exeter’s Feyi-Waboso is a proper Test player and will likely start this summer if fit. Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter said last week that he was ‘touch and go’ for the end of the season, which puts him right back in contention to tour should Borthwick want him. Feyi-Waboso had been an ever-present in the England side last year, starting six Tests in a row before picking up a concussion and later a dislocated shoulder, and in that time, became a major focal point of the team.

10 George Ford (c)

Despite missing out on the Lions tour, Sale star Ford is set for a big summer. The fly-half will not only win his 100th Test cap in the Americas, but he will likely be the main contender to lead England into battle. He is also bang in-form right now, notably winning Premiership Player of the Month, and when Ford is in-form he is arguably one of the best in the world. His Test experience will also be huge for this squad.

9 Jack van Poortvliet

Before Alex Mitchell made the shirt his own, it was Jack van Poortvliet’s jersey, and he now has the perfect chance to try and take it back. The Leicester scrum-half is in great form right now, looking like the player he was prior to his injury in 2023 again. He also holds similar threats to the Lions-bound Mitchell, both in his sniping ability and distribution, and would do a fine job back in the starting side.

8 Tom Willis

You’d expect Saracens man Tom Willis will once again start at number eight this summer after his Lions omission. The forward really impressed upon his introduction to the starting side in the Six Nations, giving England that consistent ball-carrier in the tight they have craved, but he also just looked ready-built for the Test arena too. He is also an out-and-out number eight, which is a big tick in his box.

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7 Sam Underhill

It’s a curious one for Sam Underhill this summer, given his injury woes this season, but if Borthwick opts to take him he will likely start in the back-row. The Bath flanker is looking back to his very best at the minute, albeit in a slightly different role, and is once again taking names with every tackle. But, as he’s proved throughout his career, he is the ultimate Test animal and will certainly be an asset to the side if he goes on tour.

6 Ben Curry

With his brother headed for the Lions tour, we could see Ben Curry shift to the blindside this summer. The Sale Sharks skipper has been in really impressive form this season, including with England too, and will again be a big asset on this tour. The Argentina back-row will offer a completely different threat to what England usually face, but his breakdown skills will be a huge weapon nonetheless, and he more than packs a punch in the loose too.

5 Alex Coles

He often goes under the radar given the talent England have at lock, but Alex Coles should get a proper run of it this summer. The Northampton man is your typical industrious lock, but that in itself is what makes him a brilliant player, as he never shies away from the ugly work and more often than not is leading the defensive efforts. He is also an exceptional lineout operator as well.

4 Chandler Cunningham-South

With both Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum on Lions duty this summer and George Martin injured, we could very easily see Cunningham-South shifted to lock. He might not have much experience in the set-piece here, but this will still allow Borthwick to have him around the park for his big efforts while still having the breakdown threat of Underhill and B. Curry too. Cunningham-South is also showing signs of becoming a proper Test player too, which is always a good thing to have in your pack.

3 Joe Heyes

Leicester’s Joe Heyes really proved a lot of the doubters wrong during the Six Nations, and will get that chance again in the summer as the starting tighthead. He seems to have really matured as a player since his Test debut, particularly in the scrum, and probably deserves a nice run in the starting XV as a result.

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2 Theo Dan

Hooker is one position England are loaded in right now, even with Luke Cowan-Dickie off with the Lions, but this does feel like Theo Dan’s time to get a go in the starting team. The Saracens man is bang in form at the moment, and his explosive carries in the loose coupled with his set-piece work are exactly what you want from a modern-day hooker.

1 Fin Baxter

Similarly to Heyes, Fin Baxter should just automatically become the starting loosehead given Ellis Genge is away with the Lions this summer. The Quins ace also dramatically improved between the Autumn Nations Series and the Six Nations, returning to that formidable scrummager we saw last season, and he should be given the freedom to go on the attack in that area this summer. This will also serve as another big learning opportunity for him in his early Test career.

Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Junior Kpoku, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Alfie Barbeary, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Freddie Steward

The bench is quite an interesting area, and it certainly caused some healthy debate among the Planet Rugby team! George will still likely go on the tour, possibly to keep him fit should he be required for the Lions, but Curtis Langdon probably feels a good bet to still play this summer after impressing for Northampton in recent outings. Sale duo Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour could easily be in the starting unit, but will certainly be involved somewhere in the 23.

Our BIG call is the inclusion of Racing 92 ace Junior Kpoku. The towering forward has already trained with the senior side despite plying his trade in France and is understood to be attracting heavy interest from Premiership sides in order to make him available for the Test side. The fact that he is still eligible for the U20s could give Borthwick a bit of wiggle room to select him as well. He could also qualify for France soon, given the amount of time he has spent in the country, so England need to act soon to bag him.

Bath duo Ted Hill and Alfie Barbeary should also make the bench, especially if Borthwick opts to deploy a 6:2 split – which they probably will against Los Pumas – and Ben Spencer and Freddie Steward should complete the bench. Steward is an interesting one too, as not only could he cover the whole back-three, but also could be an option in midfield too, which he has previously stated would interest him.

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