England predicted team v Wales: Pom Squad to remain a ‘vital asset’ despite ‘tweaks’ while injuries could ‘force hand’
Steve Borthwick (right) seems set to start George Ford (centre) and Ben Earl (left) against Wales.
Ahead of England’s Six Nations opener against Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, here is how we think Steve Borthwick’s side could line up.
England come into their maiden fixture of the Championship in a very strong position following a successful 2025 Test season that saw them win 11 in a row, but as a result, they enter the Six Nations with serious expectations.
Borthwick has also kept the bulk of his wider squad together from their November campaign, with just three uncapped players in the squad in the form of Greg Fisilau, Vilikesa Sela and Emmanuel Iyogun. Elsewhere, George Furbank, Bevan Rodd, Seb Atkinson and Trevor Davison have also come into the wider group. Jack Kenningham has also been called into the full squad once again, with Ben Curry returning to Sale Sharks for rehabilitation.
Forced hand?
While England will be keen to build on the success of that unbeaten Autumn Nations Series block, in which they beat the All Blacks, Fiji, the Wallabies and Argentina, Borthwick will be without a number of his big-hitters this Championship and could have his hand forced in key areas.
The most obvious one comes in the form of Tom Roebuck, who is listed among the rehab group. The Sale winger would have been one of the first names on the team sheet had he been fit for the opener against Wales, but it seems he will be out of action for that one. That, in turn, could see the backline altered further.
Tommy Freeman will probably move back onto the wing, despite being seen more as a 13 moving forward, which could then allow Henry Slade to start in midfield as a result.
Elsewhere, the injuries in the front-row open up some spots too. Fin Baxter and Will Stuart would have certainly been in the 23, be it in the run-on group or off the bench, but now, Rodd and Davison seem primed to take their spots.
Fin Smith’s calf issue could also see George Ford keep his spot at fly-half for the Wales Test, with Marcus Smith set to once again occupy the 23 shirt, given his versatility.
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There is some good news on the injury front, though, with Furbank back in the full squad after a tough few months, but that also throws up a major conundrum for the head coach.
The Northampton Saints man has commanded a starting spot in the Test side for a good while now, but in his absence, Freddie Steward has also hit his straps once again after his own frustrations at this level.
The selection of Furbank in the full squad, and not the rehab group, does suggest he is in contention to retake the starting shirt this Six Nations, though, and Wales could be the perfect time to give him proper minutes while also having the insurance option of M. Smith too.
Centre of attention
The midfield was once an area of weakness, with constant chopping and changing of personnel and no real stand-out contenders, but that’s a thing of the past now.
While 13 is a bit easier to pick, given the aforementioned selection call of keeping Freeman on the wing in the absence of Roebuck, 12 is certainly going to keep Borthwick up at night with Atkinson, Max Ojomoh and Fraser Dingwall all in contention.
He has even admitted this himself, telling members of the media he is excited to see the three men compete over the shirt in camp.
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“The simple answer is we had a period where we didn’t have specialist 12s and ball-playing 12s who have that skillset, but now we’re blessed in that we have effectively three of them and also 13s that can play there. There’s real competition for it, and I said before the autumn that I wanted one of these players to really grab it and say it’s theirs now.
“I was really pleased with what Seb Atkinson did last summer (in Argentina) and would have been in the squad had he not been injured. I thought Max (Ojomoh), while making his debut last summer, played really well in that final game of the Autumn Nations Series. You can see on the attacking side of the ball, Max is outstanding.
“Then you have Fraser (Dingwall). He might have a relatively low number of caps, but it feels like he’s been around the team for a long time and feels like he’s a senior player and a calm voice. I like that.
“Now, what I’m looking forward to in camp is seeing these three players train against each other and compete against each other. You can see that in a number of positions now, where players are going to be competing for places in a collaborative manner. It’s going to be a good camp next week.”
At the end of the Autumn Nations Series, it seemed Dingwall was just ahead in the 12 depth chart, with him taking a starring role in the win over the All Blacks alongside steady outings against both the Wallabies and Fiji, but Ojomoh and Atkinson also deserve to be in the conversation.
Bath man Ojomoh stole the limelight in the win over Argentina, winning Player of the Match for his troubles, while Atkinson also showed his Test credentials in the series whitewash against Argentina back in July.
All three men have been in good touch for their club sides this season, too, so it could simply come down to who Borthwick thinks suits the needs of the Wales Test the most.
In the here and now, it does seem like Dingwall’s shirt to lose, even with the others coming good at the right time. His performances across the autumn showed just how integral a role he plays within the attacking structure, with his skills as a distributor and his ability to step in at first receiver taking the load off Ford, but he also just acts as that extra organiser as well, which then helps create that shape Borthwick and Lee Blackett are after. You would think Atkinson and Ojomoh taste some form of game-time across the Championship, though.
Pom Squad
England’s bench became a major talking point during the Autumn Nations Series, and while Borthwick has hinted at possible tweaks, you would still expect it to be a vital asset this Six Nations.
As mentioned above, Rodd and Davison seem primed for a spot in the 23, and the likely place for them will be on the bench. Borthwick will probably look to add a bit of experience in that mix, meaning Jamie George could be set to feature in that 16 shirt once more, with Luke Cowan-Dickie then getting the starting gig. Lock is an interesting one, given Chandler Cunningham-South has been that number 19 on occasion while Alex Coles and Ollie Chessum have also featured in that role, but it feels like a toss-up between the two East Midlands-based forwards for Wales. One will start, the other will bench, but it’s very much 50/50 between them on current form for both club and country.
Tom Curry and Henry Pollock should also keep their spots on the bench, given the impact they had late on during the November Tests, much to the frustration of Fisilau, though. You think the Exeter man will feature at some point this Championship, given his form for the Chiefs. Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill and Ben Earl will more than likely start in the back-row as a result.
Ben Spencer also seems set to feature alongside M. Smith as the back options.
Predicted England team in full
Possible starting XV: 15 George Furbank, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles OR Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge
Bench: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Alex Coles OR Ollie Chessum, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith
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