With just 18 months to go until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the direction of travel under Steve Borthwick is becoming clearer with every passing week.
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England’s recent Six Nations reset — highlighted by the bold decision to drop George Ford from the matchday squad after defeats to Ireland and Scotland — felt like more than a short-term reaction. It looked like a clear line being drawn.
Selection windows are now auditions for Australia 2027. And for some players, the message seems increasingly blunt: they’re no longer part of the plan.
Here are five players who look unlikely to wear an England shirt again while Borthwick remains in charge.
1. George Ford
The omission of Ford wasn’t subtle.
After back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland, Borthwick didn’t rotate his senior fly-half — he removed him entirely. With Fin Smith handed the reins and the coaching staff doubling down on a refreshed backline, it signalled a strategic shift rather than a temporary tweak.
Ford has been one of England’s most dependable operators over the last decade. But international rugby moves fast, and World Cup cycles move faster. At 30+, he now looks like yesterday’s solution to tomorrow’s problem in the eyes of the current regime.
Could he return in a crisis? Possibly. But coaches rarely pivot away from an established No.10 this decisively unless they’re planning long-term.
Right now, it feels like the page has turned.
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