Ranked: England’s front-row depth chart ahead of summer tour with ‘generational’ crop likely to be blooded in
From left to right: Fin Baxter, Theo Dan and Joe Heyes
England head coach Steve Borthwick is already facing several well-documented selection headaches this summer, but the front-row might just be one of his biggest ahead of the tour to the Americas.
Following their strong outings in the Six Nations, props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart are highly likely to be included in Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions touring party to Australia, and Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George are both in the picture at hooker as well; but that leaves Borthwick with up to four gaping holes in his pack.
There are a number of promising front-rowers pushing through the ranks, particularly among the U20s cohort, but who will Borthwick turn to this summer? Well, here is how we view the front-row depth chart.
Loosehead prop
Test starter: Fin Baxter
On tour: Bevan Rodd, Beno Obano
Outside bets: Emmanuel Iyogun, Tarek Haffar
Harlequins ace Fin Baxter has had a pretty solid start to life in the Test arena, and there’s no doubt he will do just as well in a starting role. Like many of the England front-row, the 23-year-old put in consistently strong scrummaging performances throughout the Six Nations, and giving him a start this summer will keep that sort of continuity going in the scrum. He also looked increasingly busy ball-in-hand too, which would have pleased Borthwick no end considering how he likes to use his props in attack.
Underneath that, you’d think Bevan Rodd and Beno Obano will be on tour too as specialist looseheads. Both men have featured in Borthwick’s wider squad at various points in the past year, and can feel unlucky not to have won more caps, but they have both impressed at club level this season and deserve a shot at this level. Crucially, they will bring that sort of attacking intent Borthwick is after with both men keen to get their hands on the ball and get involved around the park.
Emmanuel Iyogen and Tarek Haffar are also potential options to go on this tour, given their recent England A involvement. They are both still maturing at senior level too, so going on the tour would be a great learning experience for them
Hooker
Test starter: Theo Dan
On tour: Gabe Oghre, Curtis Langdon
Outside bets: Kepu Tuipulotu
This feels like the perfect time to give Saracens star Theo Dan a concentrated run in the starting team. The 24-year-old has been dipped in and out of the England squad since his debut in 2023, with only three of his 21 caps coming in the starting XV, but he could be the future of the number two jersey given he has this almost outside back-esque blend of speed and agility but has the power and strength of a proper front-rower to go alongside it. Again, he’s had flashes of brilliance at Test level too, but if he starts this summer, he could build a proper platform to excel moving forward.
You’d also think Gabe Oghre and Curtis Langdon will be included in Borthwick’s touring party this summer, given their respective involvements in the past year. Crucially, both men also offer similar attributes to Dan and would overall make a very complementary unit.
Our outside bet slot is a very bold call, but Kepu Tuipulotu could very easily end up on the plane this summer. The Bath starlet is still incredibly inexperienced, but his flashes of genuine brilliance in the U20s Six Nations and solid outings at senior level for Bath show he has all the hallmarks of a fine Test player in the future, and this would be a brilliant learning experience for him. Blooding in front-rowers is also something Ireland have done to great effect, with Gus McCarthy going from apprentice to regular feature in the 23, so that could set the tone for Tuipulotu as well. He’s also a player England want to cement as their own, given he also qualifies for Wales.
Tighthead prop
Test starter: Joe Heyes
On tour: Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Afolabi Fasogbon
Outside bets: George Kloska, Trevor Davison
Tighthead is arguably the biggest hole to fill, given how well Stuart went in the Six Nations, but Joe Heyes’ improvements throughout the Championship mean he should be entrusted with that job. The Leicester Tigers man has been on the cusp of the England squad for a while now, but with Dan Cole moved on before the Six Nations, Heyes was afforded a proper run in the 23 and took his chance well, capping it off with a fine display against Wales for good measure. Again, he came on leaps and bounds in the scrum too, and his connection with Baxter should allow the pair to just pick up where they left off.
Generational pairing Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon also look set to be included in Borthwick’s wider squad. The pair have both been brilliant for the U20s and their respective clubs in the past few seasons, and Opoku-Fordjour also gave a good account of himself on his senior Test debut against Japan, and this again feels the perfect time to blood them in ready for the future.
Opoku-Fordjour’s ability to play loosehead means they could very easily play together in the same side, as they have done for both England A and the U20s, but there’s no doubting the Sale ace’s best position is tighthead, and you feel the increased competition between them will only drive them to new heights.
Underneath them, George Kloska and Trevor Davison will also likely be in Borthwick’s thinking. Bristol man Kloska has shot up the England pecking order this year thanks to some fine performances in the Premiership, and again would really add to their carrying stock, and Davison has also been involved with the wider squad this season and would only add to the group should he get the call-up.
🌹 READ MORE: England star learns disciplinary fate after ‘foul play’ in European Cup win
