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Nine England players facing the chop before France 2023

Mark Wilson runs during England training (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Head coach Eddie Jones has suggested as little as 40 per cent of the current crop of England players will be on hand for the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023. A 20 per cent year on year cut is on the cards, as Jones’ looks to evolve his team in the midst of the increasing arms-race that Test rugby has become.

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“I don’t think this group can have another World Cup in them,” Jones told BBC Sport. “While there will be core members of the team who will be able to continue to the next World Cup, there will be a new influx of members coming in. If you look at the squad this year we have changed it by 20%. There will be another 20 per cent change in the second year, and another 20 per cent in the third year.

“By the time we get to the World Cup it could be 40 per cent of the squad from the 2019 World Cup and 60 per cent new members.”

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    So who faces the chop? Here are nine candidates that could be on Eddie’s butcher’s block sooner rather than later.

    George Kruis

    Kruis appears to be on his way out of the country, with Japan looking the most likely destination. His England career will naturally come to an end as result, and at 30 and with 45 caps, it is unlikely he’ll be invited back should he return.

    Joe Marler 

    Marler could well take the decision out of his head coach’s hands. He’s already retired from international duty before, and his recent Six Nations controversy might see the colourful prop call time on his Test career once again.

    Dan Cole 

    Cole could well have already played his last game for England. At 32, Cole was not named in Eddie’s most recent Six Nations squad and will be 35 in 2023. Jones is highly unlikely to select the Tiger’s stalwart unless his hand is forced by injury.

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    Ben Youngs

    Although a favourite for Jones and a crucial part of England’s game management system, the 30-year-old Youngs’ 99-cap mileage may mean a 2023 tournament could be beyond him. Could he go to France as second choice nine, form allowing? Yes, but a succession plan is surely now in place.

    Courtney Lawes

    Another of the first names on the current England teamsheet, Lawes will be 34 in 2023. His ability to play 5.5 has been a huge plus point for the Northampton Saint but he’s at the tail end of an 11-year-England career, and Eddie doesn’t lack for options at either blindside or lock.

    Courtney Lawes Biggar
    (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    Willi Heinz

    His England debut came late in his career, but the New Zealander will be nearly 36 by when the first ball is struck in three years time. The pandemic could mean his 10 cap run could have already come to an end.

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    Manu Tuilagi

    He may be just 28-years-old, but the Leicester Tiger’s body has been through the mill.  Cursed by injury, the centre always seems to be teetering on the brink of his next layoff.

    The blockbusting centre has managed just 40 Test caps since he made his 2011 debut, injury the main culprit in robbing him of at least that number of appearances again. When fit, he’s England’s clear first choice 13, but his injury profile is unlikely to improve with increasing age and Eddie might place continuity ahead of his game-busting abilities.

    Can he make his three of four World Cups at 32? Maybe, if his load is managed and he gets a decent run of injury luck.

    Mark Wilson

    Wilson has never been first choice for England but his versatility, durability and workrate make him a useful all-rounder in the mould of a Robshaw or a Haskell. Father time is not on the 30-year-old’s side however and one imagines the next generation of explosive English backrows – the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Ted Hill – will render him obsolete before the French tournament comes round.

    Wilson
    (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

    Jonny May

    Arguably still England’s sharpest weapon in attack, May will be 34 by October, 2023 – veritable dotage for a rugby union winger. While he’ll still likely be faster than his eventual replacement, it’s hard to see May surviving another three and half years in a position seemingly never lacking for the next bright young thing coming through.

    Wing centurions are the rarest of rare things at Test level.

    England squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

    Backs: J Cokanasiga (Bath), E Daly (Saracens), O Farrell (Saracens, capt), G Ford (Leicester), P Francis (Northampton), W Heinz (Gloucester), J Joseph (Bath), J May (Leicester), R McConnochie (Bath), J Nowell (Exeter), H Slade (Exeter), M Tuilagi (Leicester), A Watson (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester).

    Forwards: D Cole (Leicester), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), T Curry (Sale Sharks), E Genge (Leicester), J George (Saracens), M Itoje (Saracens), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), L Ludlam (Northampton), J Marler (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Harlequins), J Singleton (Worcester), S Underhill (Bath), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), M Wilson (Newcastle/Sale Sharks).

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    J
    JW 4 hours ago
    France player ratings vs England | 2025 Six Nations

    Sorry my delivery on that joke was a bit bland. But to reply to the couple of good points you make, to me it just seemed like they had no plan with why Gatland was staying on. I mean the plan seemed to be “just get us a win against Italy and we can continue on as we are”, which is just terrible if that’s what Gatland was trying to achieve for Wales imo.


    Did it just happen to be Italy that he saw his team weren’t able to achieve his vision of success? I mean Italy are a very good side so its by no means a lost cause to not look like world beaters. Sure his focus should have been on more transient factors like growth and style for a full rebuild, not trying to avoid the wooden spoon.


    Which brings me to you main point, that would be exactly what the benefit of dropping down a tier would be. A chance to really implement something, get good at it, then take it up a level again once you’re ready. Even for Italy it must have been an incredibly brutal environment to have been trying to develop as a side.


    Not saying of course that the other EU teams would be any better, but it might be better for everyone if say ‘years of tough losses’ are shared between countries, rather than see Wales go through this journey two, three, possible four years in a row. Of course the main reason they don’t want to miss just one 6N season is because it would probably tank the game in their country missing out on all that revenue. I have always said they should look at widening the revenue share, there are plenty of competitions that have systems to keep bottom teams competitive, and the 6N would only make more money if it was a tierd competition with prom/rel.

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