With England’s squad announced for the Test matches against Japan and the All Blacks, we’ve picked the winners and losers from Steve Borthwick’s selections.
The England manager named a 36-man squad, including six uncapped players, but Borthwick’s strong form saw other players recalled to the squad.
Now, without further ado, let’s announce the group winners and losers.
winner
Double joy for Curry’s twins
Ben Currie is benefiting from some strong performances for Sale Sharks as they reached the Premiership semi-final, but his brother Tom is one of the best players in the world in his position and represented England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so was selected solely on the basis of his previous performances at Test level.
Tom had missed most of the Premiership season with a hip injury sustained during England’s win over Argentina in the bronze medal match of last year’s World Championships, but made a healthy return in Sale’s defeat to Bath in the Premiership semi-final at the Rec. Despite coming on early in the second half, the veteran international made his presence felt with some big defensive hits and strong carries in attack, proving he is fully fit and ready to return to the international stage.
Meanwhile, Ben has been quietly going about his business with Sale Sharks, but his impressive form has earned him qualification for a return to Test play and he is determined to add to the five Test caps Tom has won whilst with the British and Irish Lions or injured, and they hope to feature in the same Tests for England during their upcoming tour.
Six without a cap
The new recruit on Borthwick’s team is Finn Baxter (Harlequins), Gabriel Ogre (Bristol Bears) Joe Carpenter (Sale Shark), Tom Roebuck (Sale Shark), Ollie Slateholm (Northampton Saints) Luke Northmore (Harlequins).
All have enjoyed good form for their respective clubs, with promising prop Baxter standing up well to the rigours of a front-row role against more experienced opposition in the Premiership and Champions Cup.
Meanwhile, former Wasps hooker Ogle joined Bristol at the start of this season after brief stints with Leicester Tigers and Bordeaux Begles. The 26-year-old performed well for the Ashton Gate club and was a regular in the senior team, playing in good form as the Bears enjoyed a strong second half of the season, narrowly missing out on a place in the play-offs.
The remaining four uncapped players are all in the backline and are worthy of a call-up: Northmore formed a solid midfield partnership with Andre Esterhuizen at Quins, while Slateholm played a leading role in Northampton’s premiership win and finished the season as the tournament’s leading try-scorer.
Meanwhile, the call-up to Sale back-three duo Carpenter and Roebuck is no surprise, as they have worked together brilliantly at club level and will be hoping to carry their good club form into the Test matches.
A team of four experienced people is selected
Borthwick’s team has a good mix of promising and experienced players. Charlie Ewels, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall and Ben Spencer Eager to impress if given the opportunity.
Ewells and Dombrandt have both been part of the England squad over the last few years but were both on the fringes of the first-choice XV under Borthwick and his predecessor Eddie Jones, and the forward duo will be hoping to cement their place in the run-on side on this tour.
Meanwhile, scrum-halves Randall and Spencer have re-entered the mix at Test level after impressive performances for Bristol and Bath respectively, and they will be vying for a back-up spot to Northampton’s Alex Mitchell with him firmly established as the first-choice number nine.
England select six uncapped players for mid-season Tests, Tom Curry plays despite Sale Sharks concerns
loser
Red cards are costly
Bass Loose Head Prop Beno Obano He’s had an excellent few months for his club, helping them reach the Premiership final, and as well as catching the eye with his excellent play in the scrum, the 29-year-old has also been impressive as a ball-carrier – traits that make him a deserving candidate for the Test match.
But his world came crashing down when he was red carded for a dangerous hit on Juarno Augustus midway through the first half in Saturday’s Premiership final defeat to Northampton. Bath played well until the end, but Obano’s sending off was costly in the bigger picture and, with a suspension looming, it also meant he was sure to miss out on an England call-up.
Northampton will be missing three front row players
Newly crowned Premiership champions Northampton Saints have attracted attention for the aggressive style of play from their backline, but their forwards, who provide a solid foundation for the backline, also deserve a lot of credit for their success.
It all starts with the front line. Emmanuel Iyogun and Trevor Davison He attracted attention with his excellent scrumming skills as a hooker. Curtis Langdon While he has contributed in that regard, he has also been notable for his execution of other key duties, particularly his excellent ball carrying throughout the season.
Iyogun and Davison have been overlooked by Borthwick, while Langdon appears to be a disappointment with the shoulder injury he sustained in Saturday’s Premiership final against Bath.
The back row duo from Busch were overlooked.
Ted Hill and Alfie Barbery The pair spearheaded Bath’s onslaught and were crucial to the West Country side’s run to the Premiership final.
The pair formed an excellent combination in the back row alongside Sam Underhill, with Hill’s return to form coming at the perfect time after being sidelined for five months following hamstring surgery.
He only returned in March but has been impressive since then, using his strengths defensively and with the ball.
However, with Chandler Cunningham-South cementing his place in the England squad for the Six Nations, Hill was unfortunately unavailable and was unlikely to be called up.
Baverly, meanwhile, is one of the Premier League’s most explosive runners and has given Bath good momentum all season, so it may have been a mistake for Borthwick not to select him. The 23-year-old has been a regular for England’s age-group teams and represented his country’s senior team but is still waiting for a test call-up.
Former No. 1 scrum-half sacked
The past eight months have been tough for the Leicester Tigers scrum-half. Jacques van Portvliethad established himself as England’s first-choice scrum-half in the run-up to the 2023 World Cup in France but a serious ankle injury forced him out just before the global tournament.
Van Poortvliet recovered from that setback and returned to Leicester in March. He performed well for the club and was named in England’s provisional 19-man squad ahead of their summer tour at the end of May.
However, Borthwick was always keen to bring Mitchell into the team after the Premiership final, as was Spencer, so it was either van Poortvliet or Randall who would be sacked and unfortunately for the Leicester Tiger it was his turn.
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