Steve Borthwick will name an initial 36-man squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday and the England head coach is in circles in terms of his selection planning, due to several disruptive factors.
As always, there have been complications and setbacks. The national team will be without at least three men who would likely have been members of the starting XV; George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Sam Underhill. While Furbank, the country's leading full-back for much of last year, is likely to be available again during the Championship after recovering from a broken arm, the other two absentees are expected to miss the entire tournament.
Underhill's Test career has regularly been marked by medical setbacks and this latest comes after he was passed over for one of the initial tranches of 17 enhanced EPS contracts, which Borthwick awarded to senior members of his team.
That major administrative development, as part of a new PGP (Professional Game Partnership) agreement between club and country, is likely to affect Borthwick's decision-making as he will be inclined to favor contracted players, over whom he has more control. in any 50-50 deliberations.
Next week, England will move to Girona for a warm-weather training camp ahead of their first Six Nations match against Ireland in Dublin on February 1. Borthwick and his assistants face the urgent mission of weaving a productive and renewed lineup, with some players at the top. of his powers, but many others strive to improve his form or match his acuity. It is an important task, against the clock.
For all England's progress in last year's Six Nations, capped by a stunning last-gasp victory over Ireland, they slumped dramatically in the rest of the year, beating an overwhelmed Japan just twice in the remaining six matches. Here, I select my 36-man squad to get England back into Six Nations contention.
Steve Borthwick will name his provisional 36-man squad for the Six Nations on Thursday.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is one of the many stars who will be absent due to injury
The team hopes for a better Six Nations than last year, in which they finished third
back three
Furbank will be out of action at least for the first two games, which turn out to be the most difficult: away against Ireland and at home against France.
In his absence, Marcus Smith is likely to be reassigned to full-back, despite the stellar form of Leicester specialist 15 Freddie Steward, while Borthwick may be tempted to consider Tiger on the wing.
Tommy Freeman and fellow Saint Ollie Sleightholme are team certainties and likely starters, while Sale's Tom Roebuck has valuable aerial skill in the middle of an offense against the guard running backs.
Unfortunately, Bristol flyer Gabriel Ibitoye is injured, so Cadan Murley is the next flanker challenger, while Elliot Daly is experienced, fit and offers utility value.
My choices: Daly (69 caps), Freeman (16 caps), Murley (no caps), Roebuck (3 caps), Sleightholme (5 caps), Steward (35 caps).
Marcus Smith is likely to play at full-back in George Furbank's initial absence.
Midfield
These are problematic positions and a review is needed. The move away from a blitzkrieg defense may alter Borthwick's thinking in relation to his centers and count against Exeter veteran Henry Slade, who has often struggled to translate his abundant talent into supreme testing displays.
Alex Lozowski is the country's number 13 and Paris-based Joe Marchant has been sorely missed.
Ollie Lawrence should keep his place, although there is a strong, time-saving argument for pairing him with his Bath team-mate Max Ojomoh, who is playing well and is worth a try ahead of Quins pair Luke Northmore and Oscar Beard, and the Saints, lighter. stalwart, Fraser Dingwall.
My choices: Lawrence (31 caps), Lozowski (5 caps), Northmore (no caps), Ojomoh (no caps), Slade (69).
Henry Slade is part of my team but has struggled to thrive on the big stage with England.
Alex Lozowski deserves a Borthwick call-up: he is the 13th fittest in the country
Luke Northmore is one of four non-international stars in my provisional 36-man squad.
Half
Here's some good news; Alex Mitchell is back and flying in time to return as the starting scrum-half after being absent from the November series. The only question at nine is who should replace him?
Ben Spencer could be lost after starting the autumn as first choice, given the return of Sale's electric Raffi Quirke, who has proven more effective at Test level than Bristol's sparkling but diminutive Harry Randall. Jack van Poortvliet started England's last two Tests and should also make the team.
All three contracted fly-halfs are set to be included, with Fin Smith at 10, Marcus Smith at full-back and George Ford close to recovering from injury and approaching 100 caps.
My choices: Ford (98 caps), Mitchell (18 caps), Quirke (2 caps), F Smith (6 caps), M Smith (39 caps), Van Poortvliet (16 caps).
Alex Mitchell has returned from his next injury and will become England's first-choice scrum-half.
front row
It's a desperate shame that Gloucester's huge England U20 prop Afolabi Fasogbon is injured, because he had done enough to warrant a call-up. Fellow youth World Cup winner Asher 'Ash Beast' Opoku-Fordjour could be included primarily as a tighthead, while Leicester's Joe Heyes is also pushing for a return, ahead of Trevor Davison.
Ellis Genge is the quintessential loosehead, while Fin Baxter needs time to regroup after being the target of the scrum this season, so Bevan Rodd could come in.
At hooker, captain Jamie George is being heavily pressured by his Saracens team-mate Theo Dan and the revitalized Sale Lion Luke Cowan-Dickie, who is a powerful force in defence.
My choices: Cowan-Dickie (44 caps), Dan (16 caps), Genge (66 caps), George (97 caps), Heyes (7 caps), Opoku-Fordjour (1 cap), Rodd (5 caps) internationals), Stuart (45 international matches). ).
Captain Jamie George faces competition from Theo Dan and Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker.
Second row
This is arguably the area of least intrigue. Maro Itoje is a fixture and George Martin has the imposing physical presence and toughness to act as an ideal partner in the engine room.
The selection of substitutes is more complex, but partly because there are not many new contenders making a strong case, at least not while Junior Kpoku is off limits at Racing 92.
Charlie Ewels and Alex Coles are established team men, to varying degrees, but Nick Isiekwe has done more to earn a place and can also operate with a six, while Jonny Hill has provided reminders of his international class for sale in the last month and it's worth it. another shot.
My choices: Hill (13 caps), Isiekwe (15 caps), Itoje (88 caps), Martin (19 caps).
Maro Itoje and George Martin seem determined to partner in England's second row
back row
England have notable depth here, despite the loss of Underhill. Ollie Chessum is on track to be available and that is a huge boost for Borthwick as the Leicester man is the ideal option on the blindside.
Tom Willis is the fittest player in the country, so he should be included and considered as the starting No. 8 if he can replace Ben Earl, who is a team favorite along with the Curry twins, Ben and Tom.
Ethan Roots has been playing better for Exeter than Chandler Cunningham-South has for Harlequins, but the latter has a higher 'ceiling' and is contracted, so could make the cut.
Alex Dombrandt could be usurped by Willis, while Northampton's Henry Pollock is a new sensation who should be given a hurry.
My choices: Chessum (23 caps), Cunningham-South (11 caps), B Curry (6 caps), T Curry (56 caps), Earl (37 caps), Pollock (non-caps), T Willis (1 cap international).
Saracens' Tom Willis should be considered for a chance to capitalize on his only cap at No.8
However, he would have to replace 27-year-old Ben Earl, who is a team favorite.
MY ENGLAND XV to face Ireland in Dublin on February 1: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, George (captain), Stuart; Itoje, Martin; Chessum, Earl, T. Curry.
Last word – The RFU seems hell-bent on becoming a laughing stock. Rugby's governing body in England is not behaving in the best interests of the game here.
The events of Thursday night confirmed this, when the union attempted to split and find spurious reasons to reject a letter from more than 150 clubs, calling for a special general meeting and a vote of no confidence in chief executive Bill Sweeney.
Instead of stepping up to deal with the situation, the RFU is scrambling to find loopholes, technicalities and delaying tactics in the fine print. It is totally inappropriate for an institution of such category. It is shameful for sport in this country. Stop dodging and move forward.
The day of reckoning is approaching, so stop hiding and walk towards it. Whether or not this leads to a stirring of roots and branches is not the point; The point is that a large section of the English game is demanding genuine accountability and a real investigation, so it needs to happen. Enough of the nonsense.
The union is supposed to represent the sport and the sport is in uproar over executive salaries and mismanagement, so face it and fix it, for better or worse. This ugly period of infighting is very damaging and must end properly.