Predicted England XV team v France: Steve Borthwick to ‘throw the dice’ with Benhard Janse van Rensburg primed for start
Steve Borthwick (left) could be set to deploy some new faces in his England XV squad this weekend.
Ahead of England XV’s game against France XV on Friday, here is how we think Steve Borthwick’s side will line up at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes.
Borthwick’s team come into this uncapped fixture in a weird spot, looking to build on a strong performance against Les Bleus in the final Six Nations Test while also hoping for a vast improvement off the back of their worst-ever Championship in which they won just one of their five Tests.
The display in Paris suggests there is a lot to be positive about, though, but it does come amid that dark backdrop. England played with an intensity, speed and accuracy that we haven’t seen in a good while, even during that 12-Test winning run in 2025 and early 2026, and that simply needs to become their go-to gameplan.
The England head coach has named an exciting 33-man squad for the trip to Vannes, with a number of uncapped players and in-form PREM stars drafted into the group, even with Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints players unavailable, and that suggests he could be set to properly build on the foundations from that narrow defeat at the Stade de France.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg headlines exciting backline
While Borthwick is without a number of his key backline personnel for this trip across the Channel, that gives him a chance to throw the dice a little bit and fully stress-test his wider depth chart.
Freddie Steward comes into the squad bang in-form following a strong domestic campaign with Leicester Tigers, and looks likely to form a Test-ready back-three alongside Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley. That does mean hotshot Noah Caluori and in-form Adam Radwan miss out, though.
The midfield is where it gets interesting, though, with Max Ojomoh and Benhard Janse van Rensburg very much a possible pairing. This pairing is actually slightly ironic, given the fact that the Bristol Bears man came into last month’s 42-man alignment camp in place of the Bath ace, but this has the potential to be a delicious pairing.
Both men play at their best when given freedom to roam between different positions, but importantly, they operate in different channels. Ojomoh seems to position himself between the 10-12 line, where he can use his pace and power in the carry or act as an extra ball-player if needed, while Janse van Rensburg seems to play more towards the 12-13 areas, where he can get himself into broken space and bring his offloading game into the mix. That sort of organic balance is exactly what Lee Blackett’s attack cries out for, just look at how Ojomoh and Lawrence operated last season for example, and it could be a good time to test it out.
Seb Atkinson could also be an option at inside centre, given he ended the Six Nations in the 12 shirt and would also offer the same skillset, but this could be a chance to give both Ojomoh and Janse van Rensburg time to prove themselves.
Fly-half is another big call for Borthwick, with George Ford and the in-form Charlie Atkinson battling it out. Right here and now, it does seem like Ford will take the starting role, though, with his experience likely the deciding factor given the relatively fresh-faced look of this extended squad.
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Jack van Poortvliet should also start at scrum-half, with Harry Randall and Marcus Smith in line for roles off the bench in the now-traditional 6:2 split.
Hefty pack
The forwards unit will likely have a Test-ready feel to it, with Borthwick having a lot of his big guns available here. Ben Earl seems almost certain to start at number eight, with Tom Curry also a viable option at openside.
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Number six is where things get interesting, though. Borthwick has previously used this as another out-and-out breakdown threat in the past – essentially a second seven – but he does also seem to be moving towards the lock-flanker hybrid option on the blindside, which opens the door for either Ted Hill or Ollie Chessum. Given his exploits at the Stade de France, and the likelihood he will start at blindside against the Springboks on 4 July, Chessum seems the probable starter with Hill coming off the bench.
Crucially, having that lineout option in the back-row frees Borthwick up to deploy George Martin at lock once more, with the Leicester ace hitting top straps quickly after his return from that lengthy absence. Charlie Ewels’ leadership skills also make him a likely starter, with Nick Isiekwe in line for a role off the bench.
The front-row will also have a pretty similar look to it, with Joe Heyes and Jamie George nailing their spots down in the Six Nations, while Beno Obano could be an option to start at loosehead given his recent scrummaging exploits for Bath.
Vilikesa Sela could feature as the tighthead replacement, Asher Opoku-Fordjour could be tested out at loosehead in this environment and Jamie Blamire’s form deserves recognition with a bench spot as well.
Predicted England XV team in full
Starting XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 George Ford, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 George Martin, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Beno Obano
Replacements: 16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Alex Dombrandt, 22 Harry Randall, 23 Marcus Smith
