Steve Borthwick’s tenure as the head coach of England has been marked by his ruthless approach, as he has made the tough decision to drop several prominent players ahead of the upcoming 2023 Six Nations tournament.
These players, who were initially selected by Borthwick for his first training squad in January, found themselves at odds with the new boss, who aimed to instill higher standards following a disappointing period under his predecessor, Eddie Jones.
Consequently, it is highly probable that these players will not be included in Borthwick’s broader training squad for the 2023 World Cup, which is set to be announced later this month.
Outlined below are four exceptional talents who are unlikely to add to their international caps under Borthwick’s leadership.
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#1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
Age: 30
Position: Loosehead-prop
Caps: 0
According to a source from RUCK, it is suggested that the Gloucester star, Rapava-Ruskin, was left puzzled when the England coach questioned his conditioning.
The source indicates that Rapava-Ruskin, who has been performing exceptionally well as a loosehead prop in the Premiership, stood up for himself by highlighting his outstanding statistics for his club.
Rapava-Ruskin, who is 30 years old, holds the top position in various statistical categories for props in the league this season. These categories include meters gained, dominant collisions, turnovers, line breaks, and offloads. Furthermore, he was recognized as the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Round in Round 12.
Despite Rapava-Ruskin’s impressive performance, the England coach, Borthwick, disagreed with his stance and opted to drop him in favor of Bevan Rodd, Ellis Genge, and Mako Vunipola. It is worth noting that Rapava-Ruskin could be the best uncapped player in the country at the moment.
