From 61 to 33… Last chance saloon in England RWC selection process

The wait is nearly all over, England fans. Whereas the likes of reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland simply announced a squad of 42 players on May 30 that will be cut to the requisite 33 on August 28, the way Steve Borthwick has gone about running the rule over his Rugby World Cup options has been quite the convoluted process.

Eight weeks, seven squad announcements, four different training bases… activity involving a whopping total of 61 players – and we’re still not at the finish line.

That will finally happen next Monday, August 7, when a 10am media release confirming the names of the chosen 33 will be followed 90 minutes later by Borthwick explaining his final choices at a Twickenham media briefing.

England World Cup kit

England World Cup kit

Depending on the results that materialise at France 2023, how the rookie head coach got to that point of officially unveiling his squad will ultimately be regarded as a mathematical thing of beauty that should be hung in the Louvre or else be consigned to history as a daft rugby equivalent of musical chairs.

It’s been quite the song and dance, with initial demo June camps at Pennyhill, Brighton and Lensbury taking place before that end-of-month confirmation of a 41-strong squad with five more players tipping away in injury rehabilitation.

Fifteen players were chucked on the scrapheap at that June 30 juncture, and the twists and turns have continued since then in Lensbury, Italy and now back at HQ in Pennyhill. By last Sunday evening’s latest update, the number still involved was 41 players plus two more in rehab– a total of 43 where 10 must be shed over the course of this warm-up match week versus Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and into next Monday’s final squad confirmation of 33.

In 2019, when Eddie Jones was in charge with Borthwick as an assistant, the squad of 31 had a 17 forwards/14 backs split. With World Rugby now permitting the selection of two additional players at the 2023 finals, RugbyPass sifts through the selection race position by position ahead of next week’s big London reveal:

HOOKER
Still in contention (4): Jamie Blamire, Theo Dan, Jamie George, Jack Walker
Excluded (2): Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Dunn

The recent Guinness Six Nations suggested a lack of depth in this position, with England over-reliant on Jamie George, who was short of his best form, while Luke Cowan-Dickie was absent through injury. LCD is still off-limits, his World Cup hopes ended after attending the initial three June camps to rehabilitate his shoulder.

Tom Dunn, Borthwick’s neighbour, was also cut at that stage. The uncapped Theo Dan, though, arrived into camp at that juncture with George on the back of his eye-catching effort off the Gallagher Premiership final bench with Saracens.

Whether he makes it depends on how Jack Walker is rehabbing the calf issue sustained in week one – he has been listed in the rehab group since then. Meanwhile, the similarly inexperienced Jamie Blamire is one of seven forwards that have trained the whole way through from June 12.

LOOSEHEAD
Still in contention (3): Ellis Genge, Joe Marler, Bevan Rodd
Unclear status (1): Mako Vunipola
Excluded (2): Val Rapava-Ruskin, Beno Obano

Another position where injury rehab clouds the fringe picture. Ellis Genge, the No1 jersey first choice throughout the Six Nations, has trained every week of pre-season as has the back-in-favour Joe Marler.

The uncapped Val Rapava-Ruskin was cut after week six but Bevan Rodd, who was dropped after week five, has since been recalled after Mako Vunipola dropped out of the in-camp rehabilitation group last week.

It hasn’t been clarified, though, whether Vunipola, who had back surgery after missing Saracens’ Premiership final win, is still in with a full shout of making it while rehabbing with his club. Beno Obano was cut after just two weeks.

TIGHTHEAD:
Still in contention (3): Dan Cole, Kyle Sinckler, Will Stuart
Excluded (1): Joe Heyes

If England are bringing three tightheads, this selection battle was essentially settled in June with Joe Heyes gone after week three. Kyle Sinckler and the fit-again Will Stuart have trained the whole way through since June 12, with veteran Dan Cole joining them the week after.

LOCK:
Still in contention (5): Ollie Chessum, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, George Martin, David Ribbans
Excluded (1): Charlie Ewels

Ex-Leicester boss Borthwick spoke last March in Dublin about his enthusiasm for rookie Ollie Chessum, who had fallen victim to a serious ankle injury on the England training ground. The youngster has been named in the rehab group every week over the course of the summer, but the push will now come to shove next Monday and tell whether that endeavour has been enough.

The main competition for Chessum – who is considered a lock that can also play blindside – is fellow Test rookie George Martin, who has been training since week two.

David Ribbans has also been training since week two with Jonny Hill involved since week four following his recall after his Six Nations snub. Maro Itoje, who started on July 2, is of course the engine room leader and a definite selection shoo-in, unlike Charlie Ewels who was cut after the initial three weeks.

FLANKER
Still in contention (6): Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Tom Pearson, Jack Willis
Excluded (2): Ted Hill, Sam Underhill

A position with so much intrigue where the unmerciful contest for inclusion was highlighted by Sam Underhill’s exclusion following the Italian training camp.

His reputation as a 2019 World Cup star wasn’t enough to keep him in a loop where the uncapped Tom Pearson has trained since day one, with Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam involved since week two. Tom Curry, Ben Earl and Jack Willis were all July 2 arrivals, Ted Hill dropping out after training the three June weeks.

No8
Still in contention (3): Alex Dombrandt, Billy Vunipola, Tom Willis
Excluded (1): Zach Mercer

Three weeks was all Zach Mercer was given before getting unceremoniously dumped, Borthwick preferring to give the rehabilitating Billy Vunipola every chance to show his fitness after his knee procedure left him part of the rehab group from June 12 until July 23.

Alex Dombrandt, whom Borthwick backed as the starter in all five Six Nations games this year, has trained the whole way through, with the uncapped Tom Willis, who has signed for Saracens from Bordeaux, joining up on July 2.

SCRUM-HALF
Still in contention (3): Danny Care, Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Youngs
Excluded (3): Alex Mitchell, Harry Randall, Ben Spencer

This was a position where England ultimately became stretched at the 2019 tournament, Ben Spencer flying over to Japan to take a spot on the bench for the final after back-up Willi Heinz was injured out of a squad that had travelled with just two No9s.

Spencer lasted just a single week of 2023’s build-up as did Harry Randall, with Alex Mitchell ditched after weeks two and three in camp due to Borthwick favouring veteran Danny Care, who is one of eight backs to have trained all the way through since June 12.

Jack van Poortvliet, the recent Six Nations No9, is leading the way with record caps holder Ben Youngs also in the hunt.

OUT-HALF
Still in contention (3): Owen Farrell, George Ford, Marcus Smith
Excluded (1): Fin Smith

Will Borthwick bring all three or ultimately keep Ford on the outside? That was the case when this positional battle heated up during the Six Nations and created banner headlines, Smith getting dropped after game one, Farrell getting similarly treated after game three and Ford loitering in the wings all the while without getting a chance.

Rookie Fin Smith’s involvement for weeks two and three in June highlighted the gap that exists to the next-best below this leading trio.

MIDFIELD
Still in contention (5): Ollie Lawrence, Joe Marchant, Guy Porter, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi
Excluded (2): Fraser Dingwall, Will Joseph

Borthwick has shown he isn’t afraid to make big calls in this area as well, omitting Manu Tuilagi at the start of the Six Nations and then reinstating him in the final game in Ireland after he had served a mid-series suspension due to a club red card.

Tuilagi has been training since July 2, but Joe Marchant and Henry Slade have been there since day one on June 12, with Guy Porter joining up on June 19. Ollie Lawrence is the selection to watch, though.

He suffered a knee injury and spent a month in the rehab category before getting back into the squad for week six. In contrast, Will Joseph lasted just two June weeks, as did Fraser Dingwall.

BACK THREE:
Still in contention (8): Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Elliot Daly, Max Malins, Jonny May,
Cadan Murley, Freddie Steward, Anthony Watson
Excluded (2): Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins

The omission of Ollie Hassell-Collins after just a single week of June training showed that Borthwick doesn’t have the patience with some players that he has with others.

Handing OHC a debut in game one in February versus Scotland had been Borthwick’s way of signalling a changeover from the Jones era but that gambit clearly hasn’t worked out for now. Tommy Freeman, who debuted last summer in Australia, also wasn’t long for this squad, training just two weeks before exclusion.

In sharp contrast, Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga and Jonny May have trained this whole summer, with Freddie Steward and the unattached Anthony Watson absent for only week one.

Premiership winners Elliot Daly and Max Malins arrived on July 2, while Candan Murley has had a Bevan Rood-like reprieve – he was omitted after week six but was recalled last Sunday for the Wales match week.