Steve Borthwick has been brutal In his short time in charge of England, dropping a number of major stars ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
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#1. Jonny May
Age: 32
Position: Winger
Caps: 72
The Gloucester speedster, who is England's second top try-scorer of all-time with 35, was another veteran who was unceremoniously axed by Borthwick.
With injury problems becoming more and more frequent, May will need a significant upturn in form to have any chance of a recall.
A poor season with Gloucester ended any hopes of an England recall, scoring five tries in 22 outings for his club.Get your tickets to the Rugby World Cup matches at viagogo, the world’s leading ticket marketplace. Find out how by clicking here.
DID YOU KNOW? studied at Hartpury College, where he was a member of Hartpury College R.F.C., coached by Allan Lewis in a team that included future Wales and Lions wing Alex Cuthbert
Luke Cowan-Dickie of England, Kyle Sinckler of England, Jonny May of England and David Ribbans of England looks dejected after losing during the Autumn Nations International Series match between England and South Africa at Twickenham, London on 26 November 2022 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
#2. Jack Nowell
The departing Exeter Chiefs winger, who joins La Rochelle this summer, has officially declared that he will not be available for England duty leading up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The speedsters decision stems from his upcoming transfer to France, which has compelled him to prematurely retire from international rugby.
His primary objective is to concentrate on his transition to La Rochelle, the reigning champions of the Heineken Champions Cup for two consecutive seasons.
“I am not doing the World Cup, no World Cup. I am just going to chill and get my knee sorted,” said Nowell.
“It was a hard decision not to put myself in for selection for the World Cup but I thought it was something I had to do for myself and my family as well.
“We are going to make the most of being back home in Cornwall, spend the next few weeks there, and then we have got our testimonial tournament at Sandy Park on June 3.”
Going into more depth about his reasons for effectively calling an early end to his international career, Nowell explained: “Eddie [Jones] leaving, Borthers coming in.
“I was in contact with Borthers at the start and he let me know I wasn’t going to be involved in the Six Nations which is completely fair enough, new coach, new ideas. There comes a stage when everyone has got to make a decisions on the team.
Jack Nowell of Exeter Chiefs during the Gallagher Premiership match between Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester Rugby at Sandy Park, Exeter on 28th January 2023. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
#3. Joe Marler
Marler violated one of Steve Borthwick’s primary rules earlier this year, which is the "no sh**talking policy" for the England team.
Consequently, despite his impressive performance with Harlequins this season, he was excluded from the Six Nations squad.
Earlier this year, Marler received a six-week ban (with four weeks suspended) for making inappropriate remarks about Bristol flanker Jake Heenan's mother.
As he approaches his mid-30s, the possibility of Marler returning to international play appears increasingly improbable.
#4. Billy Vunipola
Age: 30
Position: Number 8
Caps: 64
Borthwick excluded Powerhouse No8 Vunipola from the Six Nations squad, opting for Alex Dombrandt from Harlequins and Sam Simmons from Exeter as specialists.
Vunipola made a return to the England squad last summer under Eddie Jones and played in the autumn Test series.
However, in Borthwick's first selection, he made significant changes, resulting in Vunipola being among several experienced players left out.
With Zach Mercer set to return to England this summer, yet another recall for Billy, who is still recovering from a knee injury, is starting to look very unlikely.
Billy Vunipola of England in possession ahead of Kazuki Himeno of Japan during the Autumn International Series match between England and Japan at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on Saturday 12th November 2022 | Photo: James Fearn/PPAUK.
