LOCKS
4. Rus Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
5. Joe Batley (Bristol Bears)
In the engine room of our potential England debutants, we have selected two stars of the West Country in Exeter’s Rus Tuima and Bristol’s Joe Batley. Tuima has been thriving in his move to lock for the 2023/24 season, after initially making his name in the Chiefs squad as a back-rower. Tuima was patient in his break-through at Sandy Park, and his time on loan with Cornish Pirates in the Championship, has had a proven lift to his game for this season. One of the most talked about locks in the league, Tuima’s immense physical presence draws in multiple defenders, before his Fijian flair sends his teammates into space with a well-placed off-load. With five tries in the Premiership this season, Tuima is certainly one of the top England locks on the rise.
Joe Batley is one of the older players in our uncapped XV, yet would bring an added edge of experience to the England camp, having been a Premiership player since 2018. Batley began his career with Bristol, and after a series of back and forth moves between Leicester Tigers and Worcester Warriors, he finds himself back with the Bears for the 2023/24 season. At 27-years-old, Batley has bided his time in becoming one of the top Premiership locks to not run out at test match level, despite nailing down the number five jersey in his return to Ashton Gate. At a titanic 6ft 7″, Batley is a towering presence at the line-out and often dominates the air-space to win Bristol the ball.
BACK ROW
6. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
7. Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
8. Alfie Barbeary (Bath Rugby)
Wrapping up our starting XV in the back-row, and Chandler Cunningham-South is amongst the leading contenders for an England push upon the blindside flank. The versatile back-rower is well equipped to run out at six, seven or eight and was recently awarded international honours with the England U20s squad. The Harlequin was one of a trio of arrivals to move to the Stoop, following the financial collapse of London Irish, and he has been making a name for himself in the famous quarters, along with Will Joseph and Lovejoy Chawatama. Excellent over the ball and a relentless tackling machine, Cunningham-South has long been a fan favourite across South West London.
Newcastle Falcons’ Guy Pepper comes in on the open-side flank, with England fans eager to see the back-rower take to the test match stage. One of the Premiership’s top defenders, Pepper recently tied Jacque Burger’s record for the most tackles in one Premiership match, as he made 34 completed hits against Saracens. Pepper has also impressed on the front foot, with a series of powerful carries taking Newcastle into dangerous positions, most recently with strong carries against Harlequins. As the Falcons are struggling to find form this season, Pepper’s England debut could give the North East side the lift they need, to bring home the win at Kingston Park.
Rounding off our starting XV is Bath back-row Alfie Barbeary, who continues to bulldoze his way through the Premiership’s top defences. As much attributed to Bath’s resurgence than that of Finn Russell or Ollie Lawrence, Barbeary has been shining in blue, black and white, and often leaves his opponents the same colours after a series of bruising collisions. The former Wasps man has scored five tries across all competitions, including an important score in Bath’s Champions Cup win against Cardiff. There is fierce contention for England’s number eight jersey, yet Barbeary could well get an international calling for Borthwick’s side, or perhaps even with the England ‘A’ set-up.
REPLACEMENTS
16. George McGuigan (Gloucester Rugby)
17. Val Rapava-Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby)
18. Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
19. Alex Moon (Northampton Saints)
20. Will Evans (Harlequins)
21. Stu Townsend (Exeter Chiefs)
22. Manu Vunipola (Saracens)
23. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)