FRONT ROW
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) (Captain)
Genge has been one of England top performers at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and will be 32-years-old by the time the 2027 Rugby World Cup rolls around. Genge has already experienced leadership roles in a brief spell as England captain, and we can the Bristol Bears prop taking the armband for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. With Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes looking towards the end of their international careers, it will be time for the Baby Rhino to lead the charge.
2. Theo Dan (Saracens)
The understudy to Jamie George for club and country, the young Saracen could well elapse his mentor by the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Dan will be 26 by the time England head to Australia, and looks primed to take over the number two jersey from his Saracens teammate. George will be 37 at the next Rugby World Cup, with his experienced role set to resemble that of Dan Cole at the current competition.
3. Will Stuart (Bath)
Throughout the past 12 months, Will Stuart has emerged as a serious contender to be England’s leading tight-head prop. An exceptional run in the 2023 Six Nations put Kyle Sinckler on notice, with the Bristol Bears prop dropped to the bench having been a previous mainstay as England’s number three. Borthwick’s re-calling of Dan Cole pushed Stuart down the pecking order for the World Cup, but a 31-year-old Stuart could take the lead in four years time.
LOCKS
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Maro Itoje hit his revered top gear in France, yet despite his best efforts the Saracen will have to wait four more years for another shot at the Web Ellis trophy. Itoje will enter the 2027 Rugby World Cup as a 32-year-old, with plenty more to give in the engine room of the scrum. In what on paper looks like his last shot to win the World Cup, Itoje could also defy the odds with his freakish fitness, and even run out at the 2031 Rugby World Cup in the United States.
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Breaking onto the England scene in the tail-end of the Eddie Jones era, Chessum has plied his trade in the row and formed a nice partnership with Maro Itoje during the latest Six Nations. Arguably England’s most consistent performer at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Chessum played in every match of the competition, and only dropped to the bench for the semi-final loss to South Africa. In four years time, Chessum and Itoje’s partnership could well resemble the Whitelock-Retallick duo of their era.
BACK ROW
6. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)
Before Borthwick named Courtney Lawes as an out-and-out blindside flanker for the Rugby World Cup, Lewis Ludlam was the leading option to wear England’s number six jersey in France. The Northampton Saints man has presented his versatility with a start at number eight, but it’s on the blindside flank where he shines brightest. With Lawes expected to step down, Ludlam looks like the foregone pick for 2027.
7. Ben Earl (Saracens)
Ben Earl has had a coming of age Rugby World Cup tournament, with his stock rising after each stand-out performance in France. Here’s hoping that Earl presses on, and continues on this upward trajectory to again be one of England’s leading men in Australia. The Saracen has shone on the open-side flank and at number eight this year, with our predictions landing him back in his experienced seven jersey.
8. Alfie Barbeary (Bath)
One of the hottest young prospects set to explode onto the international scene, remember the name of Bath’s bruising number eight Alfie Barbeary. The 23-year-old has a bright future ahead of him in an England jersey, with Billy Vunipola steadily making his way to England’s edges. Come 2027, Barbeary should be well within the conversation to pack down the back of the scrum in Australia.