England squad: Winners and losers as ‘freak’ forward primed to ‘explode on the Test stage’ while omitted men forced to ‘be patient’

Following the announcement of England’s 36-man squad for the summer tour of the Americas, here are our key winners and losers from Steve Borthwick’s selection.

Winners 

Co-captains

Jamie George and George Ford will lead England into battle this summer, and to be honest, it’s a fitting touch to two servants of the shirt. The pair have faced their own problems within the England set-up over the past few months, with Ford being overlooked for Smith squared and George losing the captaincy to Maro Itoje, but they have both been among the very best players to wear the shirt across their Test careers and this is yet another big moment for them both – particularly with Ford set to win his 100th cap as co-captain too. It also reflects their continued importance within the squad.

Uncapped stars

Borthwick has named 10 uncapped players within his wider touring party, but they all come into the side in great touch. All 10 of them have been banging on the door of the squad for a good while now, be it the actual match-day 23 or the training squad, and this is a great chance for them to go and prove themselves at the highest level. They will all also bring increased competition to the squad regulars as well, which will only be a good thing moving forward.

Injury returners

Ben Curry and Harry Randall have both been deemed fit to travel with the squad after being listed in the rehab group last week, and that will be welcome news for Borthwick. The pair have both become regular features within the match-day 23 in the past year, with both featuring heavily in the Six Nations too, but again with this squad taking on a new look the experience both players have at this level will only be a good thing for the group as a whole.

Ben Spencer

It’s been tough going for Ben Spencer at Test level, but his inclusion in this 36-man squad suggests he still has a chance to nail down his spot. The Bath captain was head and shoulders the premier scrum-half in the Premiership, if not Europe, this season as he propelled the Blue, Black and Whites to the title, and he also comes into the summer tour of a majestic outing for England XV as well. You’d feel, given his form, he will likely be the starting scrum-half come the first Test against Los Pumas, and that could be a game where he finally cements his place.

Henry Slade

Another one who’s had a bumpy ride within the England side in Borthwick’s tenure, but he now takes up a place as a senior leader within this touring party and that could bring the best out of him. Take his 2023/24 campaign as a prime example of what he can add to a side in that sort of role, playing a crucial role in Exeter’s solid season and going onto win Premiership Player of the Year, so while the most recent season is better left forgotten in Devon, that should serve as a timely reminder of what Slade is all about as a leader. When he gets going, he is also an incredibly silky player, and that should come to the fore once again this summer.

Ted Hill

He’s also had to bide his time and be patient, but you’d think Ted Hill is now ready to explode onto the Test stage. The Bath forward is an absolute athletic freak, blending raw pace with genuine power and aggression, but he also comes into the summer tour in absolutely outstanding form after his displays for the West Country side. Again, the make-up of the rest of the squad suggests he is in pole position for a starting spot, which will only allow him to flourish.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

Despite his ban, Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been included in the 36-man squad. He will still only be a positive influence on the rest of the squad, though, and with him likely to return to face the USA after serving his suspension, that should then also drive competition within the backs unit. As he’s proved already in his early career, he is built for this arena, and even if it’s just for one game and the end of a three-Test tour, he will still likely excel. There is no getting away from the fact that it is a big risk from the England boss, though, knowing he will be unable to feature in the Los Pumas Tests.

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Sam Underhill

He’s back at the perfect time from an England point of view, and again, he comes into the squad in great form. Despite missing the final games of Bath’s season, Underhill has again proved why he is considered among the best back-rowers in the European game, and with him in the team, England’s back-row takes on a whole other edge. He is a one-man tackling machine, and will add proper defensive steel to this largely attack-minded squad.

Losers 

Injured septet

Joe Batley, Fraser Dingwall, George Furbank, Ollie Lawrence, Alex Lozowski, George Martin and Ollie Sleightholme will all miss the tour through injury, but even being named clearly shows they were in Borthwick’s thoughts. It is especially cruel for Batley, who could have won his first cap if he’d made the squad, but yet the other six would have also been right in the mix for the match-day 23.

Jack Kenningham

Despite a strong outing for England XV on Saturday, Jack Kenningham just misses out on the touring party. You’d think this is not a reflection on his form, given his absolutely insane turnover stats for Quins alongside general barnstorming performances, but a reflection of the depth in England’s back-row even without some of the Lions players.

Raffi Quirke

The return of Randall from injury has probably bumped Raffi Quirke out of his seat on the plane. The Sale back made a tidy return to the England set-up in the France XV match, and has looked pretty strong for Sale too, but given his injury hell since his last Test cap, having this summer to get fully right and attack next season could be better for his long-term career. No doubt he will add to his tally of two caps in the future, though.

Tom Dunn

Arguably the form English hooker right now, but Tom Dunn misses out on selection. Again, his form in Bath’s road to the title was nothing short of extraordinary, playing a crucial role with his physical, abrasive performances, but it’s possibly his age that counts against him this tour. Borthwick is turning to more youth to take on Los Pumas this summer, as he looks towards the long-term future for England, and with co-captain George already occupying a hooker slot, the boss has opted for more youthful options in Theo Dan and Curtis Langdon. You’d have thought he would have been right in the mix, but alas, he misses out.

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Alfie Barbeary

Fellow Bath forward Alfie Barbeary is a really tough omission from the squad, given his impeccable displays in Blue, Black and White. Number eight is actually quite a tough call this summer for England, with Tom Willis all-but assured to start there, but underneath that, Alex Dombrandt and possibly even Chandler Cunningham-South have more experience at this level than the former Wasps man, which has probably played against him this time around.

Afolabi Fasogbon

Gloucester could easily have had a fourth uncapped man headed to the Americas, but Afolabi Fasogbon has been overlooked this time around. Competition for tighthead, even with Will Stuart away with the Lions, is fierce given the recent Test performances of Joe Heyes and the scrummaging form of Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Trevor Davison, and while Fasogbon has delivered some strong performances of his own, it’s possibly too soon for a Test call-up right now. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he will go onto win bucketfuls of Test caps, but for now, he will just have to be patient.

Tom Lockett

This felt like a good time to draft him in, given Martin’s injury and Ollie Chessum’s Lions absence, but it was possibly a shootout between him and Clark for that last lock spot. Lockett has impressed for England A and Northampton this past season and is another who looks like a Test player in the making, but again, he just misses out on this occasion.

Henry Arundell

His selection in the 37-man squad earlier this month pointed to him being in the starting XV this summer, given the hype around him, but he’s not even made the touring squad. He’s had his injury woes to contend with this past season, and with a move back to England in his near future, it’s potentially the right thing for his long-term career. His return to the Premiership indicates he is gearing up for a proper push for the England side, though, so watch this space.

Leicester Tigers wingers

In-form due Ollie Hassell-Collins and Adam Radwan can also feel fairly hard done by to miss out on selection once again, given their form for the Tigers at the back end of the campaign. While they brought different styles of play to Leicester’s attack, they were influential in the Tigers’ push for the final with their try-scoring antics and looked to be nearing possible England returns as a result. Their respective waits for further caps go on.

READ MORE: England: Steve Borthwick names 10 uncapped players in Americas tour squad