We are now under one month away from the start of the 2024 Six Nations, and England head coach Steve Borthwick has some tough decisions to make. Borthwick is set to name his squad for the tournament on January 17th, with regional pre-competition camps currently taking place across the country.
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It’s the dawn of a new era of England rugby, as the side enters the next Rugby World Cup cycle ahead of Australia in 2027.
Last year, the Bronze Medal Final in France marked the end of the England journeys for three of the nations’ stalwarts, as Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Jonny May all hung up their test match boots after returning from Paris.
The international exits did not stop there, as numerous stars of England’s Rugby World Cup campaign agreed moves overseas and ended their run in the red rose for the forseeable future. Joe Marchant, Henry Arundell and David Ribbans have all signed new contracts in France, with Jack Willis now also out of the fray after extending his tenure with Toulouse.
Former captain Owen Farrell shocked the rugby world by confirming his step down from the England team, with Borthwick now having to pass the armband on to a new player for the 2024 Six Nations. And to make the run-up to the competition all the more challenging, the England coaching staff will have to factor in the recent injuries to centre Manu Tuilagi and prop Joe Marler, in their selections.
So, with such a changing landscape in the England squad we decided to have a go at predicting who Borthwick will name on his squad list. We have opted for a 36-man squad, to match the same numbers from the 2023 Six Nations when Borthwick first took over the helm. Here is RUCK’s predictions for the England squad, for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations.
PROPS
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
2. Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
3. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
4. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears)
5. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
6. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
HOOKERS
7. Jamie George (Saracens) (Captain)
8. Theo Dan (Saracens)
9. Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons)