England's potential WC Squad, front row

The Telegraph is been running a series on England’s potential squad for the up-coming World Cup. I thought it was worth reproducing here for those who don’t subscribe to the Tele. There will, no doubt, be some differing opinions offered here.

Starting with the front row.

Loosehead

Ellis Genge
Mako Vunipola
Bevan Rodd
Simon McIntyre
Beno Obano
Val Rapava Ruskin
Joe Marler
Alec Hepburn
Tom West
Harry Elrington

Ellis Genge is undoubtedly in the driving seat among the looseheads. The Bristol prop was Borthwick’s player lieutenant for Leicester’s title-winning triumph in 2022 and started every match of the Six Nations, during which Saracens’ Mako Vunipola made the bench spot his own. Beneath that duo, however, the third spot is firmly up for grabs. Val Rapava Ruskin tore up trees for Gloucester this season while Beno Obano looked back to his best for Bath. Both Bevan Rodd and Simon McIntyre shone in Sale’s Premiership final defeat, the former for his dynamism in the loose and the latter for his set-piece stability. Tom West enjoyed a fine season for Leicester – although his Barbarians involvement suggests he is some way down the pecking order – and no prop in English rugby was as consistent as Joe Marler this season.

Hooker

Jamie George
Theo Dan
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Jamie Blamire
Harry Thacker
Dan Frost
Jack Singleton
George McGuigan
Tom Dunn
Jack Walker

An area of increasing concern for Borthwick. Given the fitness issues surrounding Luke Cowan-Dickie, one must assume that Jamie George, despite not being at his best, is comfortably first choice – for his metronomic throwing-in as much as anything else. Cowan-Dickie, should he recover from his neck injury, will surely be in the mix, while Theo Dan, George’s understudy at Saracens, has emerged as a potent ball-carrier. Nic Dolly was England’s third-choice while under Borthwick at Leicester but has only played two matches this season after an horrific knee injury suffered in May 2022. Jack Walker – a largely unused replacement throughout the Six Nations – was injured in Harlequins’ penultimate game of the season but his training-camp partner in that championship, Tom Dunn, enjoyed a strong finish with Bath. Harry Thacker offers a point of difference but, like West, his involvement in the Barbarians suggests he is not in the frame. 

Tighthead

Kyle Sinckler
Dan Cole
Will Stuart
Joe Heyes
Will Collier
Trevor Davison
Nick Schonert
Paul Hill
Marcus Street
Harry Williams

In terms of the wider squad, tighthead is one of the easier areas for Borthwick. Kyle Sinckler and Dan Cole have established themselves as the first-choice duo but that was in the absence of Will Stuart, who returned to fitness with a vengeance during Bath’s late-season resurgence. Barring injury or an unforeseen event, them will surely be heading to France. Joe Heyes, the Leicester prop who improved greatly over the course of the season, will push that trio all the way as fourth choice. The rest, despite their strengths, require a spate of injuries to feature. 

Locks in a couple of days.