"He's magic" - 5 Uncapped England Players Steve Borthwick Should Call Up After This Weekend

With England's first match of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations kicking off against Scotland this Saturday, there was no better time for these young guns to shine.

Will a last minute call up happen for any of these players?

A hat-trick on his debut for London Irish, exciting young winger Michael Dykes had a stand-out performance this weekend. The latest graduate of the Exiles academy, Dykes lit up the pitch with his speed early on, scoring two tries in the first half.

Despite spending 10 minutes in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, Dykes was able to complete his hat-trick against the West London rivals, and established himself as a more than capable replacement for the England selected Ollie Hassell-Collins.

Dykes' second try just before the break was the pick of the bunch, which saw him execute a fantastic finish. Inches from the touchline, the 21-year-old outmuscled the tackle attempts of two Harlequins defenders, and dived with one outstretched arm to score, before landing in touch.

Marking himself on the map for London Irish, if Dykes can play with such versatility and intensity on each appearance, then an England call-up must be in his future. Remember the name.

Another top performance from the prop, who many believe to have been unjustly overlooked by Borthwick.

Val Rapava-Ruskin was a key player for Gloucester, in their hard-hitting defeat to Exeter Chiefs. Despite being on the wrong side of the score line, Rapava-Ruskin contributed to the Cherry and Whites points tally, with his try on the half hour mark.

After the initial rolling maul attempt was halted by the Chiefs, Rapava-Ruskin re-stared the engine, and forced the pack of players across the line.

Big Val's try levelled the scoring to 14-14, in what was a significant moment at Sandy Park. Commentating for BT Sport, David Flatman appreciated the try. "That's a good bit of mauling from the Gloucester forward pack. Really, really patient."

Two tries for Potter in the Midlands derby, saw him take a leading role in Leicester's narrow defeat to Northampton Saints. After soldering on from a heavy collision just seconds into the match, the winger started the scoring for Leicester.

A powerful fend saw him break the tackle attempt of Rory Hutchinson, before diving across to score in the corner.

His second try was in similar style, as he spun through Tom James' tackle, leaving the scrum half on the ground, before striding over the line to score. Eligible for both England and Australia, Steve Borthwick should look to secure Potter's services on the International stage soon.

Former England Head Coach Eddie Jones would certainly like to use Potter to bolster his Wallabies squad, ahead of the upcoming 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The international break is an exciting time for young Saracens players, who are looking to make their mark in the first team.

The absence of Jamie George, following his England call-up and subsequent concussion, has given Theo Dan a prolonged spell at hooker. The 22-year-old capitalised on the opportunity against Bristol Bears, and marked the occasion with a try.

Driving the Bristol defenders back across their try-line, Dan led the charge to score a well-crafted rolling maul. Leaving the pitch to a warm ovation, including applause from his mentor Jamie George, Dan was replaced by another young hooker in Kapeli Pifeleti.

Saracens Head Coach Mark McCall was delighted with Dan's and Pifeleti's performances, “I thought he was superb, but KP (Kapeli Pifeleti) was as well who came off the bench. Two young players who are getting opportunities during international windows, is exactly why we like these periods of time.”

Sleightholme succeeded in ruining Freddie Burns' Tigers farewell, as the veteran full back departs the club for his move to the Highlanders in Super Rugby. Sleightholme ensured that Burns' final match was a derby day defeat, with a wonderful second half try.

Cutting inside from the right wing, Sleightholme stepped past the returning Anthony Watson, and outpaced Burns on his way through to the line.

Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson, alluded to Sleightholme's skill and accompanying try.

Speaking with BBC Sport Dowson said, "We've not been good away from home. In this league, where it's really competitive, you're not going to blow sides away, so what you need to do is be really full-on in what you're doing defensively.

"Then you don't have to really force anything and, when a bit of space opens up, you have to trust your quality."