England squad: Five takeaways as Steve Borthwick’s World Cup ‘bigger plan’ emerges while returning Maro Itoje rejoins ‘entirely different’ side
England head coach Steve Borthwick (right) has named a 36-man training squad for a three-day camp
Following confirmation of England’s 36-man alignment camp ahead of the 2026/27 season, here are our five key takeaways.
World Cup plans in place
Yes, this squad is the start of England’s preparations for the upcoming Nations Championship Tests in November, but it also shows the blueprint of Steve Borthwick’s World Cup plans.
There was never going to be too much change in this squad compared to the July tour, given the fact that it’s come in the midst of club pre-season, but this does seem a very settled squad when you look into it. The changes are mainly returning players coming back into the mix, be it from rest or from injury, while the uncapped cohort of Greg Fisilau, Kepu Tuipulotu, Tobias Elliott and Charlie Bracken, who replaces Archie McParland, have all spent time with either the senior squad or represented England A in the past as well.
England’s main positional concern also seems to be addressed, coming at hooker. Jamie George’s impending retirement means England need to start future-proofing the hooker depth chart, but his absence from full training this camp has given Tuipulotu another chance to get some time in the senior environment and show he can be Borthwick’s man long-term. He has also kept Theo Dan involved once again, which further suggests he will have a big role to play come the World Cup after a tough time in recent campaigns.
Scrum-half hasn’t necessarily been an area of weakness, but with Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer both absent this camp, it felt particularly interesting with McParland called straight back into camp, and his replacement, Bracken, seems to fit that sort of mould of an up-and-coming nine too. Harry Randall has also been handed a lifeline back into the senior picture, after missing out during the summer tour. In isolation, these picks just seem like Borthwick calling in players lower down the depth chart, but when you factor in their respective styles and their desire to inject pace into play, it points to the extension of England’s shifting attack.
But the evolution of this squad is mainly shown by the difference between this group and the one that met for 2025’s pre-season camp. Jamie Blamire, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence all seem to have fallen down the depth chart in the past 12 months, while Ben Curry, Bevan Rodd and Oscar Beard also miss out after injury-plagued seasons last time out. That is a significant shift in personnel in a year, but it shows that Borthwick is starting to get a clearer picture of the players he will be looking at for both the November campaign and, further down the track, the World Cup.
This might just be an alignment camp on paper, but it feels like it’s been selected for a bigger purpose. It feels like the cogs are starting to turn for the World Cup.
Return of the King
The headline selection in this squad is probably the returning captain, Maro Itoje, who comes back into the England side following an extended break in the off-season.
“It’s been a little bit different to how it normally is; but all in all, it’s been amazing,” he told reporters last week.
“I feel very good for it; I don’t regret it at all. In some respect it’s a little bit weird, being away from the team while Tests are going on, but I feel it was the right thing to do. I praise Steve (Borthwick) and Phil (Morrow, England head of performance) for coming to that conclusion, and very much look forward to what’s to come.
“It’s both the mental and physical recovery. I would argue the mental recovery was far more significant than physical. Physically, I was fine at the end of the season, and I feel like I’m in a good physical condition. Mentally, it was a heavy year and a busy year, both personally and professionally, so it was nice just to have some time to take a breath.”
“I was taken aback initially, mainly because it just never entered my mind,” he added. “It was never something I thought was an option, and I just had it in my mind that you have to power through.
“I was taken aback. We didn’t make any decision there and then, but then we started to reflect on it, and the more I thought about it, the more I agreed with it and thought it was the right thing for me.
“If I wasn’t going to do it then, I’m not sure when the next window would have been. Now I’m grateful for that, and I hope the break has given me what’s necessary to come back better.”
There is no doubting that Itoje makes England a better side, both from a leadership and playing perspective. He ended 2025 in the World Rugby Dream Team following his exploits at Test level, and was certainly the totemic figurehead of the side that won 12 Tests on the spin prior to the Six Nations. 2026 was harder for him, both off the field following the loss of his mother and on it with the first real injury setback of his career; but as he says himself, the extended break could be just the ticket he needs to be at his best.
But Itoje also comes into almost an entirely different England environment, too. The lock’s last involvement with the national side came during the Six Nations when they had lost four on the spin and endured their worst-ever finish to a Championship, but after two wins in July and a shifting style, England have somewhat of a pep back in their step. For a captain, and a returning one at that, it’s a mouth-watering prospect.
Injury concerns already
It seems England already have some injury issues heading into the new season. George and Ollie Chessum will both be in camp for rehabilitation on existing injuries, while Alex Mitchell continues his rehabilitation with Northampton Saints.
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Elsewhere, Noah Caluori and Ben Spencer both miss out through injury after undergoing operations in the off-season, and Max Ojomoh misses out through a minor calf concern.
This will certainly leave the head coach sweating ahead of the November Tests, though, with these players all making the extended touring squad in the summer.
Props, props, props
While there might be some injury issues to contend with, Borthwick will also be boosted by the return of prop duo Will Stuart and Fin Baxter, who are both back in the mix after lengthy spells on the sidelines. Both men were establishing themselves as key cogs in the England pack around this time last year, and would both feature in the 23-man squad across the 2025 November Tests as well before seeing their season brought to a halt.
Crucially, they come back into an ever-improving front-row. Joe Heyes and Ellis Genge, who was given an extended rest following his return from the summer tour, have really honed their craft at scrum-time in recent Tests, which in turn allowed it turn into a key weapon. Elsewhere, Asher Opoku-Fordjour continues to get experience at Test level on either side of the scrum, Emmanuel Iyogun and George Kloska both made their senior debuts and Vilikesa Sela is becoming a regular feature in the extended squad as well.
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Having these two back from injury is a major boost for Borthwick, and they will only strengthen England’s prop depth now.
Where oh where oh where are Courtney and Joe
It was always going to be a big call either way, but Borthwick has resisted the temptation of picking Sale Sharks recruits Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant with a view to see how they bed back into the PREM.
You could certainly make a case for both players coming straight back into the mix following their return from France. Lawes is an exceptional leader and another big bopper to slot in at blindside flanker amid Borthwick’s shift in that position, while Marchant’s game-breaking ability and versatility to shift between centre and wing give more flexibility. He’s also done something similar with players coming back from France before, namely bringing Henry Arundell back into an alignment camp in 2025 ahead of his move back to Bath.
But you can also see why Borthwick has not called them in just yet. Since their last Test caps in the 2023 World Cup, some fresh faces have been given opportunities in the environment and now sit as genuine regulars either in the 23-man match-day squad or the extended training group. In this alignment camp alone, Lawes would be directly competing with Chandler Cunningham-South in the lock-flanker hybrid role, while fellow back-rowers Henry Pollock, Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl and Tom Curry have also been included. Chessum is also very much in the conversation too, despite being in the rehab group. Marchant is also going against the likes of Henry Slade and Benhard Janse van Rensburg for the 13 shirt, while Elliott, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Cadan Murley and Elliot Daly all tick the wing box too.
For now, Borthwick has made the pair wait, but it shouldn’t be a long one.
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