England predicted team: Steve Borthwick to deploy ANOTHER centre partnership while ‘serious Test match animal’ to be utilised despite club form

Louis Chapman Coombe
A three pannell image of Marcus Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Chandler Cunningham-South

From left to right: Marcus Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Chandler Cunningham-South

England found themselves in a rut during the autumn, but come into the 2025 Six Nations with renewed hope and optimism.

Maro Itoje has been installed as the new skipper, taking over from Jamie George, and around that the call-ups of Tom Willis, Cadan Murley and Fraser Dingwall point to some new faces coming into Steve Borthwick’s 23-man squad.

The England boss also faces a couple of injury concerns too, with George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Sam Underhill on the physio table at the moment.

But, what will his team look like for the upcoming Championship? Well, here is our best bet at a potential England squad.

15 Freddie Steward

With Furbank out, it is likely Freddie Steward will slot into the 15 jersey. Whilst that injury has helped his case, Steward has been in red-hot form in recent weeks, with his attacking game in particular taking tremendous strides forward. He remains just as solid under the high ball too, which will be so crucial this coming Championship.

14 Tommy Freeman

Whilst he didn’t have the greatest autumn, Tommy Freeman should retain his starting spot on the wing. He has begun to find his feet once more in Northampton colours though, which is a timely reminder of his true quality just ahead of the Six Nations.

13 Ollie Lawrence

This feels like a big Six Nations for Ollie Lawrence, but shifting him out to his preferred spot of outside centre could bring the best out of him. He’s been in terrific form since returning to Bath, again shining at 13, and that should hopefully carry over to the England shirt. He will need to impress to keep Henry Slade out of the side though.

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12 Fraser Dingwall

If the autumn proved anything, it’s that the Slade and Lawrence midfield simply does not work as a partnership, in whatever combination, so it could be time to trial another double act. But, in saying that, Dingwall has been at his classy best for Northampton in recent weeks and could add a nice new dynamic to the backline. His ball-playing ability could also be a nifty addition, given Furbank’s absence.

11 Tom Roebuck

With Feyi-Waboso out of the picture, it could be Tom Roebuck’s time to get an England start. The Sale man impressed in a try-scoring cameo against Japan back in November, and has only improved as the season has gone on. His work under the high ball will also complement that of Steward and Freeman, and his sheer size and power will put him in good stead.

10 Marcus Smith

The big call, but Marcus Smith should continue on as England’s fly-half. The Harlequins ace was head and shoulders England’s best player during the autumn, and you feel he will now be given the reins properly this Six Nations as a result.

9 Alex Mitchell

The Northampton man is a welcome returnee to the squad, and will likely come straight into the starting XV too. Alex Mitchell has been in excellent form since returning from injury and will add that crucial threat around the ruck that England lacked in the autumn. He should also link up well with Smith, considering they both like to play a high-tempo game.

8 Tom Willis

Another big call here, but Willis’ form simply cannot be ignored and Borthwick could deploy him from the get-go this Six Nations. He brings serious power and physicality around the park, but he will also act as another ball carrier in the tight too – something England have been crying out for.

7 Ben Earl

Willis’ Saracens teammate Ben Earl could be set for a switch back to seven this Six Nations. Whilst he had a particularly quiet autumn, Earl has been seriously impressive during the Borthwick era, and the addition of Willis should take some of the carrying load off him, which in turn could free him up to have those big, explosive charges he can do. It’ll be interesting to see how they link up in a white shirt.

6 Chandler Cunningham-South

He might not be in his greatest spell for Harlequins, but there is no doubt there is a serious Test match animal in Chandler Cunningham-South and he could be set for a huge Six Nations. The flanker has improved with each Test he’s played, a tough thing to do at just 21-years-old, and was properly on song in the autumn too. If he can put his best foot forward again he will be a big player for England this Championship.

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5 George Martin

England’s defensive enforcer should retain his place in the starting XV, but with clubmate Ollie Chessum back in the picture he will need to have a big impact to keep his spot. George Martin is a proper defensive workhorse and brings serious punch to England’s aggression without the ball, and he just thrives in the tight exchanges too.

4 Maro Itoje

He’s finally been given the captaincy he’s long been touted for, and that could easily bring the best out of him. Itoje was already a key leader within the England squad, but being given the captaincy at Saracens has only helped him grow, and he’s looking back to the player he was a few years ago as a result. He was also a standout in November, and Borthwick will be hoping to see more of that in the Six Nations.

3 Will Stuart

You’d imagine Will Stuart will keep his spot at tighthead, considering his marked improvement over the past year. His scrummaging has really taken off recently, and that was on full display during the autumn as he put in some seriously strong performances. A big plus was also seeing his ability to play big minutes when needed.

2 Luke Cowan-Dickie

With George being demoted to vice-captain, it could be a sign that Borthwick wants to deploy another hooker in his starting XV. Sale’s Luke Cowan-Dickie gave a good account of himself off the bench in November and has seemingly put his injury hell behind him too with some standout performances for Alex Sanderson’s men. Theo Dan might have something to say about this though, and George could very easily still be Borthwick’s hooker as well, but losing the captaincy is a sign of change in this department.

1 Ellis Genge

Rounding off our starting XV is another vice-captain, as Ellis Genge retains his spot at loosehead. The Bristol man is such an aggressive and powerful player who can do some serious damage when unleashed, but crucially he is adding some solid scrummaging to his arsenal.

Replacments

16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Jack van Poortvliet, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Cadan Murley

In the front-row replacements, former skipper George will add vital experience from the bench if called upon and Sale duo Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour have been in exceptional scrummaging form of late and will only add to the side if used. Moving back, Chessum might be reduced to a subs role after missing a decent chunk of the season, but is a serious talent and will want to push into the starting XV sooner rather than later and Ted Hill is also in great form for Bath and will add some serious beef from the bench. Crucially, both men also cover both lock and back-row too, which is another plus.

In the back options, Jack van Poortvliet should occupy the 21 shirt, but Harry Randall will be hot on his heels, and Northampton’s Fin Smith should be another half-back on the bench after his great performance against Japan. The 23 shirt is an interesting one, but Murley is probably the form back out of the lot and could be a great option to come on and win a game.

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