England's Likely Summer Line-Up: Major Stars Absent, Dan Cole to Captain

Thursday, 10 April 2025 at 10:26

bySteven Smith

England’s summer series is shaping up to be an exciting one, with four matches lined up.

Competition: Get a Chance to Watch the Lions in Australia

It all kicks off with an uncapped home match against France, which will see both teams play under the banners of England XV and France XV. As a result, this match won’t be counted for World Rankings or capped.

Where and When?
The first showdown takes place at the iconic Twickenham Stadium in London on Saturday, June 21—just two weeks before England heads off for their first away test against Argentina.

The Argentina Tour
England will then head across the globe for their two-test series against Los Pumas, with games scheduled in La Plata on July 5 and San Juan on July 12. Following that, England will make their way to Washington, D.C., for a final test match against the USA, marking the third of their July fixtures.

Missing Stars
As expected, a number of big names will be absent, thanks to the British & Irish Lions tour. But that doesn’t mean England won’t be fielding some serious talent.

England summer fixtures:

England XV vs. France XV (Warm-Up Match):

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London
Kick-Off Time: 3:15 PM BST
Details: This uncapped match serves as a warm-up for England's upcoming tour.

2. England vs. Argentina (First Test):

Date: Saturday, July 5, 2025
Venue: Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kick-Off Time: 8:40 PM local time (4:40 PM BST)
Details: The first of two Test matches against Los Pumas.

3. England vs. Argentina (Second Test):

Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Venue: Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan, Argentina
Kick-Off Time: 8:40 PM local time (4:40 PM BST)
Details: The second Test match in the series.

4. England vs. USA (Third Test):

Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025
Venue: Audi Field, Washington, D.C., USA
Kick-Off Time: 7:00 PM local time (12:00 AM BST, July 20)
Details: The final Test match of the tour.

Potential England XV Summer Line-Up:

Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) - Captain
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Ted Hill (Bath Rugby)
Tom Willis (Saracens)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Christian Wade (Gloucester)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)

Dan Biggar names bold Lions XV – with big England omissions

Wales legend Dan Biggar has officially called time on his playing career, but not before dropping a blockbuster British & Irish Lions XV on The Rugby Pod – and his picks are bound to raise a few eyebrows.

The 112-cap fly-half, who steered Wales through some of their finest Six Nations and World Cup moments, appeared on Jim Hamilton’s podcast this week and revealed his Lions dream team. Spoiler alert: there's no room for the likes of Owen Farrell, Johnny Sexton, or even himself.

Here’s how Biggar’s team shaped up…

Front-row firepower: Porter, Sheehan & Furlong

1. Andrew Porter
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Tadhg Furlong

It’s an all-Irish affair in the front row, with Biggar backing Leinster's dominant trio to boss the scrum. Furlong remains the Rolls-Royce of tightheads, while Sheehan and Porter provide dynamism in the loose.

Big boys in the boiler room: Itoje & Beirne

4. Maro Itoje
5. Tadhg Beirne

England’s Maro Itoje gets the nod despite some inconsistent recent form, with Biggar clearly still valuing his disruptive brilliance. He’s paired with the ever-reliable Beirne – a turnover machine and Lions Test starter in 2021.

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Breakdown beasts: Curry, Van Der Flier & Doris (c)

6. Tom Curry
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Caelan Doris (captain)

This back row is pure chaos – in the best possible way. England’s Tom Curry returns to the fray, Ireland’s Van der Flier adds World Player of the Year pedigree, and Doris, who’s fast becoming a modern-day great, takes the armband. A fearless choice.

Livewire half-backs: Gibson-Park & Russell

9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Finn Russell

Gone are the days of conservative Lions 9-10 combos. Biggar’s gone full jazz here. Gibson-Park brings the zip, and Russell… well, Russell brings the flair. The Scotland maestro’s creativity earns him the No.10 jersey over Biggar himself – no ego here.

Fire on the flanks: Lowe & Kinghorn

11. James Lowe
14. Blair Kinghorn

Two versatile Scots fill the wing slots, with Kinghorn’s blend of size and speed complementing Lowe’s relentless work rate and booming left boot. Biggar clearly values adaptability out wide – and a bit of flair never hurts.

Caledonian connection in midfield: Tuipulotu & Jones

12. Sione Tuipulotu
13. Huw Jones

The Glasgow Warriors pairing have formed one of the deadliest centre combos in rugby, and Biggar’s kept them together. It’s a bold call, but one based on form and synergy rather than reputation alone.

Rock-solid fullback: Hugo Keenan

15. Hugo Keenan

No surprise here – Keenan has been Ireland’s Mr Consistent, and Biggar trusts him to be the safety net at the back. His positioning, aerial ability and counter-attacks make him a nailed-on pick.

The bench: a mix of muscle and mischief

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Zander Fagerson, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith

It’s a stacked bench with serious impact. Genge and Fagerson bring brute force, while Earl and Morgan cover the back row with pace and punch. Marcus Smith adds some stardust, and Mitchell offers serious tempo at scrum-half.