Three of our four experts will hand Exeter's Emmanuel Fahey-Waboso his Test debut at the Six Nations. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
Steve Borthwick will name his Six Nations squad on Wednesday as England begin the new World Cup cycle.
The England manager must decide how many new players to bring into the squad and which of the old guard remains.
Telegraph Sport rugby correspondents pick the players they'd like to see. Do you agree with them? Let us know in the comments section.
Forwards (20)
Beno Obano (Bath)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Joe Hayes (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stewart (Bath)
Kyle Sinclair (Bristol Bears) )
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Olly Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
Ben Currie (Sale Sharks)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Alfie Barbery (Bath)
Zach Mercer (Gloucester)
Defenders (16)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Hartley (Saracens)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Immanuel Fahey-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Steve Borthwick hopes Ellis Genge will recover from injury for the start of the season Six Nations photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
I tried to reward form as much as possible while still keeping some of the experienced options. Uncapped players such as Tom Roebuck, Immanuel Fahey-Waboso and Greg Fisilau would have a realistic chance of starting for England against Italy.
Perhaps the biggest mistake of the Eddie Jones era was the lack of new blood after the 2019 World Cup, when the team grew stale and disintegrated. This choice will become a new chapter. Even with the various absences, this would look like a real World Cup refresh with new back-row and back-three combinations where the competition is wide open.
I also fully expected players like Asher Opoku-Forjour, the precocious Sale Sharks braggart, to make the squad during this World Cup cycle, but his background is better at the moment suitable for the Premier League. I changed my mind about the back row combination about 29 times and I didn't want to lose sight of Tom Pearson. If Ellis Genge and Joe Marler are both injured, only one will survive.
Forwards (20)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stewart (Bath)
Joe Hayes (Leicester Tigers)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Olly Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Moon (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Alfie Barbery (Bath)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Ben Currie (Sale Sharks)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Defenders (16)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
/>Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
George Fairbank (Northampton Saints)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Will Muir (Bath)
Immanuel Fahey-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
Ethan Roots has made his way into the Six Nations shortlist. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
I'll tell the truth. I didn't know that Ethan Roots had qualified to represent England through his father until Steve Borthwick mentioned the New Zealander at the England manager's press session at Twickenham last week. But now, having been impressed by Roots' efforts at Exeter Chiefs since the start of the season, I can see the 24-year-old heading into camp and making a claim. England don't have many resourceful and combative flankers like Roots and they need to somehow replace Courtney Lawes. Of course, Borthwick will consider fielding Maro Itoje, George Martin and Ollie Chessum together.
My biggest omission is probably Kyle Sinclair, who was better against Sale Sharks on Friday. However, Joe Hayes deserves a chance. Assuming Lewis Ludlam isn't ready, Alfie Barberi will be an annoying addition at the heart of the clash with the injured Tom Willis. Alex Dombrandt was in good form, but he just missed.
This group, which assumes Ellis Genge, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson have recovered from their ailments, includes a small number of newcomers and a fair amount of experience. Fraser Dingwall is a classy center who could take over the troubled number 12 jersey. There are plenty of other newcomers and homegrown players I'd like to see in the England A squad; Phil Brantingham, Tarek Haffar, Gabriel Ogre, Asher Opoku-Forjour, Josh Caulfield, Joe Batley, Sam Graham, Zac Mercer, Guy Pepper, Sam Bedlow, Ollie Hartley, Dan Kelly, Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Roebuck, to name a few .
Forwards (20)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Phil Brantingham (Newcastle Falcons)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Kyle Sinclair (Bristol Bears)
Asher Opoku-Forjour (Sale Sharks)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle United) Falcons)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Underhill (Bath)
Alfie Barbery (Bath)
Ben Currie (Sale Sharks)
Bucks (16 )
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Ollie Hartley (Saracens)
George Fairbank (Northampton Saints)
Freddie Steward ( Leicester Tigers
Will Muir (Bath)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Olly Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers)
George Furbank was in imperious form at Northampton. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
This squad, according to Borthwick's stated criteria, is based on Premier League form, combining wise owls such as Joe Marler, Dan Cole and Danny Care with young prospects such as Asher Opoku-Forjour, Guy Pepper and Ollie Hartley. The Saints' back three are rewarded for their commanding club form — with George Fairbank and Ollie Sleightholme head and shoulders above, while Greg Fisilau and the returning Henry Slade represent Exeter's other high-profile Premier League players.
All four selected second rows can be configured blindly, giving the back row plenty of options. That being said, if I were picking a starting team today, I would include all three: Ollie Chessouma, George Martin and Maro Itoje — perhaps with the latter on the blind side. Hartley, a 21-year-old centre, has produced some eye-catching performances for Saracens in depleted English territory. With Slade and Ollie Lawrence the likely starting combination, Hartley's experience in camp could prove invaluable in the future, while he has already shown glimpses of his powerful performances with his club this season.
Apologies in advance to the hipsters and those running the hype train, Immanuel Fahey-Waboso is an amazing talent, but I'm just not sure he's quite ready—yet.
Forwards (20)
Beno Obano (Bath)
Tareq Haffar (Northampton Saints)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Jack Walker (Harlequins)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Will Stewart (Bath)
Asher Opoku-Forjour (Sale Sharks)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Olly Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks)
Lewis Ludlam ( Northampton Saints
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Ben Earle (Saracens)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Alfie Barbery (Bath)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Defenders (16)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
George Fairbank (Northampton Saints)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Fahey-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs) )
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Joe Cocanasiga (Bath)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Will Joseph (Harlequins)
/>Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Sale Sharks striker Asher Opoku-Forjour received approval from two of our four experts. Photo: Getty Images/Matthew Lewis
At the start of a new World Cup cycle, the old ends and the new comes into being. No prizes for guessing Immanuel Fahey-Waboso, Exeter's doctor of speed and strength, is being called up to the England squad for the first time. Given their able performances in the Premier League, George Fairbank and Henry Slade are welcome back to the international stage.
In the form of Tom Pearson, the former London Irish who has been moving forward like a truck all season for Northampton. Along with Exeter youngster Ethan Roots, there is reason to be optimistic that the Courtney Lawes-sized hole can be filled. However, the subtle lack of cover at hooker carries over into 2024 — with returning Luke Cowan-Dickie remaining too undercooked for the oven of Test rugby — so Theo Dan and Jack Walker sneak in there. Alex Dombrandt has been encouraged by his World Cup omission.
Of course, there is hope that Ellis Genge (hamstring) and Joe Marler (arm) will return to full fitness, but a number of new faces have a chance to shine at front. -shortage of ranks. Asher Opoku-Forjour, Fin Baxter and Tarek Haffar have been balls of energy for their clubs and will greatly benefit from rubbing shoulders with some wise old heads.
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