England are poised to reshuffle their pack for Saturday’s opening Six Nations fixture against Scotland after omitting both Jonny Hill and Jack Willis from the squad for the Calcutta Cup showdown at Twickenham.
Hill was a regular in the second row under the Eddie Jones regime but Leicester’s Ollie Chessum, Saracens’ Nick Isiekwe and Northampton’s Dave Ribbans have all been retained instead for the first game of Steve Borthwick’s tenure as England head coach.
Willis appears to have paid the price for currently playing his club rugby in France, having had scant time to impress the national coaches after playing for Toulouse in the Top 14 on Sunday. In other circumstances the ex-Wasps flanker would have been a strong contender for a back-row place but he will now have to stay patient and await another opportunity.
England have retained three hookers in their 29-man squad but are confident Jamie George is on track to pass the necessary post-concussion protocols and be available to start against Scotland. The release of Joe Heyes and Bevan Rodd means Dan Cole and Mako Vunipola will definitely be involved this weekend. Cole last represented England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
With Alex Mitchell, Guy Porter and Cadan Murley also surplus to requirements and Dan Kelly, Henry Slade and Elliot Daly all injured, the final backline selection revolves around Owen Farrell potentially shifting to centre with Marcus Smith starting at 10.
Given the lack of time available in which to bed in alternative combinations, retaining the Smith-Farrell axis would seem Borthwick’s most obvious option. The prospect of Anthony Watson resuming his injury-disrupted England career is also still alive, although London Irish’s Ollie Hassell-Collins is poised to start on the left wing when the team is formally confirmed on Thursday.
England are also cautiously optimistic Courtney Lawes and Slade could yet be available for next week’s Italy game after injury ruled both of them out of contention for the Scotland contest. There is already a collective realisation within the England camp, however, that Scotland will be awkward opponents having had possession of the Calcutta Cup for four of the past five years.
Farrell, England’s captain, is particularly wary having recently watched his Saracens side beaten in Edinburgh in the Champions Cup. “They’re playing as well as I can ever remember,” warned Farrell. “Their results in the autumn Tests probably didn’t reflect how well they played.”
Meanwhile the defence coach, Kevin Sinfield, says Borthwick is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to transform England into a winning side following the sacking of Jones in December. “I think he was made for it,” said Sinfield. “He’s at his best and his happiest when he’s coaching the team out on the field. His strategic input is excellent, too.”
The former England full-back Mike Brown has agreed a short-term deal with Leicester. Brown, who won 72 caps for his country, has joined the Tigers with immediate effect to bolster their back-three options. “His experience and his knowledge is vital during this Six Nations period where we have a number of players away,” said the Leicester head coach, Richard Wigglesworth.
