England team: Winners and losers as ‘forgotten men’ recalled while young fly-half snubbed
England team: Winners and losers as 'forgotten men' recalled while young fly half snubbed
England boss Steve Borthwick has named his side to face France XV on Friday night as they continue to prepare for the Nations Championship Tests in July.
Here are our winners and losers.
Winners
Max Ojomoh
The Bath man had to bide his time before being rewarded with his first England start, and despite a player of the match performance against Argentina on his last outing in November, he wasn’t included in the subsequent Six Nations campaign. His inclusion at outside centre gives a very real indication of Borthwick’s future plans for Ojomoh. With Benhard Janse van Rensburg expected to occupy the 12 channel this summer, could Ojomoh be looked at as a potential outside centre partner?
Alex Dombrandt
Part of the forgotten men, the Harlequins star has often been in and out of the matchday 23 since he lost his spot at the back of the scrum following the 2022/23 season. With the departure of Tom Willis to France, his inclusion at number eight will give him great hope of a potential return to the starting line-up ahead of the summer Tests.
Uncapped quintet
Try scoring Saracens superstar Noah Caluori and Bristol Bears prop George Kloska have secured their spots in the starting XV. Young Bath powerhouse Vilikesa Sela is also vying for a spot in the front-row, but will make his entry from the bench. Harlequins’ Jack Kenningham has been rewarded for his fantastic form this season and will hope to make a positive impact in the back-row when he arrives on the field, while South African-born Janse van Rensburg’s inclusion on the bench will certainly ruffle some feathers.
Ted Hill
A player who has been a victim of his club’s own strength in depth. Hill fits the rotation role at Bath, starting some games but coming off the bench in others, which makes a consistent run of form hard to come by. It’s a testament to his impact when he does play that he’s being given a full run at it on Friday, which will hopefully allow Borthwick to make a full assessment of his Test match capabilities.
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Losers
Charlie Atkinson
The young fly-half has made some major steps forward in his game since arriving at Gloucester, after a season at Leicester Tigers following Wasps’ demise. He’s already been capped by the national side, but his solitary appearance against the USA in 2025 remains his only one to date. Despite the uncapped nature of the event on Friday, Borthwick has chosen the experienced George Ford to lead the line at 10, with Marcus Smith able to provide cover from full-back. This is a shame for the 24-year-old, who could have gained some real experience from the upcoming encounter.
Hugh Tizard
To see the tried-and-tested Nick Isiekwe taking his spot on the bench must sting. Teammates at Saracens, Tizard is a younger lock who has yet to make his senior debut, whereas time and time again, Isiekwe has failed to match the intensity that international rugby entails. With Maro Itoje rested this summer, Tizard will be disappointed not to have been given an opportunity to show what he is capable of this Friday.
Archie van der Flier
Borthwick has included a mixed front-row of experienced heads and fresh talents. The 24-year-old Leicester player has been overlooked completely, however, and will find himself watching from the stands. He still has youth on his side, and will need to break into the Tigers’ starting XV if he is to make a serious charge at the England senior squad.