Sunday 15 January 2023 4:47 pm

The Six Nations selection dilemmas England boss Steve Borthwick must ponder

By: Matt Hardy

Deputy Sports Editor - Morning Wire

Tomorrow morning the new England rugby head coach Steve Borthwick will name his inaugural national squad ahead of next month’s Six Nations.

There are nine months until the World Cup and the former Leicester Tigers head honcho is expected to pick a group dictated by Premiership form.

And with such a short time to get England back to winning ways, today’s squad will be pivotal in understanding what type of game Borthwick wants to impose on his players.

Here are three themes to look out for.

Pulling the strings for Borthwick

A couple of weeks ago, with Marcus Smith still out injured and Owen Farrell potentially facing an extended ban for a high tackle, some were suggesting that Northampton and former Worcester fly-half Fin Smith could make his international debut in the Calcutta Cup versus Scotland.

Just a fortnight later, however, Marcus Smith is back playing – he featured in Harlequins’ WIN/LOSS versus Racing 92 yesterday in Paris – and Farrell has avoided a ban long enough to see him excluded from the Championship.

So who do you pick? The player who has grown into the England No10 shirt in recent years – Smith – or the in-form fly-half in England right now – Farrell.

Both will be in the squad and both are likely to be involved in a matchday 23, but the interesting selection choice to watch is that of Smith – does Borthwick take a look at the 20-year-old.

Backs again

After his outstanding performance for Saracens at the weekend, Elliot Daly may have done just enough to earn a spot back in the national set-up. He and Ollie Lawrence – formerly of Worcester and now Bath – have been brilliant for their respective clubs, as have Guy Porter of Leicester and Henry Slade of Exeter.

It seems as if England have options again at centre, and that’s something they’ve been lacking of late.

A fit and firing Manu Tuilagi, too, will add some bulk to any England midfield. Most of the other nations in the Six Nations Championships have skilful centre partnerships, and Borthwick will need to help develop one of those in the coming nine months.

Assuming Farrell starts at No10, there are a number of options for Borthwick to play with at No12 and 13 – a second playmaker or a pair of bulldozers. 

It’s set to be a hotly contested position, but England should look at Daly for outside centre. 

Forwards thinking

For a number of years being the English player of the season in the Premiership has coincidentally meant not playing for England the following year, but that should change next month.

Because in Ben Earl, England have a flanker to compete with the best in the world. His workrate is exceptional and he’s exactly the dogged performer England will need against the likes of Ireland and France.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on whether the dynamic prop Val Rapava-Ruskin makes the squad, as well as the Willis brothers, Jack and Tom.

There are, as always, so many brilliant options in the pack – a real headache for Borthwick.