The players outside the England squad Steve Borthwick should bring in

Such was its age profile and promise that England’s class of 2019 was supposed to be set for an exciting World Cup cycle that would see the side go from strength to strength. As things turned out, the ensuing four years would be rather more turbulent.

Steve Borthwick’s original squad of 33 contained 11 players aged 25 or under in Bevan Rodd, Theo Dan, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Arundell and Freddie Steward. That represents a strong foundation, particularly in the back five of the pack. Only one of them, Arundell, is off to the Top 14. He will remain eligible for the Six Nations and could be back with Bath or Gloucester soon enough.

As he demonstrated during his Leicester Tigers tenure and has subsequently reinforced over the past three months, Borthwick values know-how and will not hesitate to select veterans that are still up to the task in their mid-30s. The expertise of Aled Walters, his lieutenant in charge of conditioning, seems to be a major crutch in this regard.

That means other mainstays of 2023 will remain in the England mix with Borthwick targeting gradual refinement rather than radical overhaul. Even so, we can expect new faces over the coming months.

Joe Heyes

Age: 24
Club: Leicester Tigers
Position: Tighthead prop

The scrum is a logical place to start given how Saturday’s second half unfolded against South Africa. Set-piece frailties have now accounted for England, or at least severely hampered them, in two consecutive World Cup defeats. A repeat in 2027 would be unthinkable and the Rugby Football Union’s age-grade tight-five camps should accelerate and align the development of props, hookers and locks around the country.

At 24, Heyes already has plenty of miles on the clock. He has appeared for the Leicester first-team over 125 times and has seven England caps. When Kyle Sinckler suffered a pectoral injury during World Cup pre-season, Borthwick brought him in on standby. On the tour of Australia in 2022, Heyes strung together bright cameos and should continue to milk Dan Cole for knowledge at Tigers.

Ehren Painter, hoping to invigorate his young career at Exeter Chiefs, is another tighthead to watch. James Harper of Sale Sharks has admirers and Alofabi Fasogbon is one for the future, while Will Stuart is bound to be challenged to step up as well. On the other side of the front row, will Val Rapava-Ruskin get another look in? Fin Baxter at Harlequins is a 21-year-old protégé of Joe Marler.

Tom Roebuck

Age: 22
Club: Sale Sharks
Position: Wing

Cadan Murley spent a good deal of time around the set-up in the summer and is obviously well regarded. Adam Radwan keeps scoring stunners. On the other end of the experience scale, there is hope of Anthony Watson agreeing terms at Leicester to keep him in England contention once his calf injury heals. Jonny May has conceded that this current World Cup will be his England farewell.

Ollie Hassell-Collins fell out of favour after a couple of caps in Borthwick’s first two matches as England head coach, but Roebuck is another strapping, athletic wing in a similar mould. Given he was born in Inverness, England may have to move quickly to tie him down.

A well-balanced runner and an opportunistic finisher, Roebuck will improve facets like back-field positioning and security under the high ball by continuing to train with George Ford. He has already bagged two tries in two games this Premiership campaign and is certainly on Borthwick’s radar.

Tom Pearson

Age: 23
Club: Northampton Saints
Position: Back row

Courtney Lawes has signed off in some style as an international with a fantastic World Cup campaign punctuated by skilful, streetwise, tough performances. He will leave a large hole for England, chiefly because of his importance to the line-out as a jumping blindside flanker. With one more year at Northampton, Lawes could play an influential role in Pearson’s improvement.

Borthwick believes the former London Irish back-rower has potential as a line-out forward, having already shown an appetite for learning by becoming a bigger jackal threat on the suggestion of Eddie Jones. At Saints, Pearson should also enjoy plenty of carrying opportunities. England’s back row will be as competitive as ever.

Ben Earl has been another huge hit of the World Cup and Tom Curry is going nowhere. Sam Underhill returned to the fold upon Jack Willis’ injury and Lewis Ludlam let nobody down. Ted Hill and Jack Kenningham are two more blindside flankers, with the former particularly springy for the line-out.

Tom Willis, Zach Mercer and Alex Dombrandt will be out to impress as specialist No 8s, with Alfie Barbeary now rumbling around for Bath. Chandler Cunningham-South, another with potential at the line-out, is with Dombrandt at Harlequins. The prospects of those last four could determine what sort of combination Borthwick assembles, yet Pearson could keep Earl at the base of the scrum. He was bettered by the brilliant Jac Morgan in August, with the Wales captain dumping him backwards at one point, but it is a safe bet that Pearson will not remain a one-cap wonder.

Seb Atkinson

Age: 21
Club: Gloucester
Position: Inside centre

Joe Marchant will stay in Paris at the end of his excellent World Cup to embark on a three-year deal with Stade Français. He may well return to Test contention in 2026 as an even better player for that experience. Before that, Borthwick has to figure out a midfield without the former Harlequin. Ollie Lawrence, effective in this tournament, and Will Joseph, who attended the earliest training camps, will figure.

Inside centre bears a question mark because England have to expand options. Dan Kelly, set to begin Borthwick’s maiden Six Nations campaign earlier this year before a thigh injury, and Atkinson, who arrived at Kingsholm when Worcester Warriors went under and promptly produced a fine season, are a pair of rounded midfielders. The latter has a handy mentor at Gloucester in Mark Atkinson, 12 years his senior, who has been a classy ball-player for years.

In the past, Premiership game-time has been hard to come by for England-qualified centres. Borthwick has heralded a new crop coming through, of which Olly Hartley at Saracens, another 21-year-old to face adversity as a former Wasp, would be a burlier member.

Ben Spencer

Age: 31
Club: Bath
Position: Scrum-half

Yes, there are younger alternatives at scrum-half. Harry Randall, still 25, was resurgent for Bristol Bears last season and has started both of their victories to begin the new Premiership calendar. Will Porter, settling in at Harlequins, has caught the eye.

Control and kicking, though, are among Borthwick’s most desired traits at this position. Alex Mitchell’s display against South Africa in the semi-final exuded composure. His defence, featuring a superb tap-tackle on Kurt-Lee Arendse, was another facet that reflected real progress.

Gus Warr is a conductor for Sale, who also boast the fizzing Raffi Quirke. Jack van Poortvliet obviously has the trust of Borthwick but Spencer’s age cannot count against him given that Danny Care and Ben Youngs are both at this World Cup. A kick-pass for Ruaridh McConnochie to score against Saracens, his old club, headlined another tidy game on Saturday to follow a hat-trick against Newcastle Falcons in round one. Borthwick is a former team-mate of Spencer and is not shy of going back to the future.

Josh Hodge

Age: 23
Club: Exeter Chiefs
Position: Full-back

The conversion of Smith, who started the World Cup quarter-final against Fiji, has exemplified how the identity of England’s full-back will be tied to a specific tactical plan for any given game. Freddie Steward returned for the semi-final and was solid in the aerial exchanges; precisely what Borthwick will have relied upon in wet conditions. Such flexibility will be important, because there are a plethora of full-back candidates.

Henry Arundell will probably play there at Racing 92, with Stuart Lancaster having inspired Hugo Keenan to new levels at Leinster. Max Malins is going to Bristol Bears to wear 15, too. Although Hodge dislocated his elbow against Harlequins on Sunday, the ex-Newcastle Falcon, another Eddie Jones apprentice as far back as 2020, will surely challenge in the build-up to 2027.

Tall, if not as towering as Steward, he is pacy and swerves through defences and shrugs off tacklers with deceptive strength. As an age-group star, Hodge scored tries that belonged in video games, and has maintained that habit. With Stuart Hogg now retired, he has a gilt-edged opportunity to nail down a regular spot at Exeter and made an impeccable start to that mission with a spellbinding hat-trick against Saracens.

Borthwick will continue to tailor line-ups to different occasions. Hodge has the talent to become England’s full-back for every occasion.