Five key takeaways from England team to face France XV
British and Irish Lions tours are exciting in themselves without the concurrent fixtures that allow nations to experiment and build depth. England 's summer begins this weekend with an uncapped game against France before a two-Test series against Argentina and one more meeting with USA in Washington.
Steve Borthwick has assembled his first match-day 23 of the campaign, and here Telegraph Sport highlights five things to watch out for:
Lions watch
In a strong balance of youth and experience, there are starts for Jamie George and George Ford. The concept of multiple co-captains does not sit well with everyone, but this signals Borthwick's intention for the older heads to lead from the front – and, in the process, to keep themselves in the shop window for British and Irish Lions call-ups.
Like Ford, Henry Slade is a survivor from this tour in 2017, when England beat Argentina 2-0 in an exciting Test series. Others who will surely pique the interest of Andy Farrell with assertive performances are the starting wings, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tom Robuck, as well as Ted Hill and Tom Willis in the back row.
Jack Conan and Ben Earl are the Lions two No 8s, so Willis would be particularly attractive with a strong outing. Farrell is evidently coveting commitment in the aerial contest, given his selection of tall back-three players, which bodes well for Feyi-Waboso and Roebuck. Without a game since dislocating his shoulder on December 17, restoring match-fitness will be foremost in Feyi-Waboso's mind. Joe Heyes could be the next cab off the Lions rank at tighthead as well, notwithstanding the versatility of Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
Atkinson and Carpenter refresh the backline...
An injury to Fraser Dingwall opens the door for Seb Atkinson at inside centre, presenting an opportunity for the 23-year-old to translate his consistent excellence for Gloucester to a grander stage. Atkinson, preferred to Max Ojomoh for this run-out, is a strapping and skilful midfielder. George Skivington has impressed his Test credentials for a long while. Expect him to be a first-phase focal point when England launch from scrums and line-outs.
Borthwick has Freddie Steward and Joe Carpenter in his wider squad, but the sparky Carpenter will wear 15. He is a fizzing threat on the counter who is brave under the high ball and brings familiarity with Ford and Roebuck. Slade, one would expect, will cover fly-half in case Ford has to make way.
…with Coles and Isiekwe in the engine room
The absence of Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin, with the first two on Lions duty and the third injured, requires a revamp at lock. Alex Coles comes into this campaign on the back of some fine performances for Northampton Saints, especially in the Investec Champions Cup. He was outstanding against the Bulls in Pretoria, and then against Castres, Leinster and Union Bordeaux-Bègles in the knockout rounds. His England career to date has been rather bitty, so this is a chance to stay in the mix when the established names return.
There is a sense of symmetry in the selection of Nick Isiekwe, who made his Test debut as a teenager eight years ago. Perhaps more interesting, though, will be to see which of Hill or Chandler Cunningham-South move to lock later on. Both have been earmarked by Borthwick as stand-in second-rows and Cunningham-South spent most of the recent victory over Wales in that position. The development of Arthur Clark and other young locks will be a priority for England.
Bath silverware rewarded
Occasionally, you need to play a hot hand and Borthwick has kept Ben Spencer and Guy Pepper, as well as Hill, rolling on from Twickenham. Bath supporters will hope that Will Muir and Ojomoh are used at some point over the coming weeks, but Spencer and Pepper are trusted in key roles. The openside pile-up is quite remarkable. With Sam Underhill still suspended, Pepper has produced back-to-back man-of-the-match displays. A third could lead to a Test cap.
Six-two bench a template for the Tests?
The back-row resources at Borthwick's disposal are extraordinary, and may well mean that three backs on the bench will be the exception, rather than the rule. Here, for the visit of France to begin a seminal summer, he has chosen Bevan Rodd, Theo Dan and Trevor Davison to cover for a strong starting front row of Fin Baxter, George and Heyes. Curtis Langdon must be close.
It gets intriguing with the back-five forwards. We have already mentioned Cunningham-South and there is a strong Harlequins accent on the rest of the bench as Jack Kenningham and Alex Dombrandt join Oscar Beard. Such cohesion is valued by Borthwick as a means of maintaining fluency late in games.
Raffi Quirke is Spencer's deputy here. In England's behind-the-scenes video content, there have been hints of the scurrying Sale Sharks scrum-half on the wing. Could he become a Cobus Reinach-type utility man who allows England to pick a seven-one split? That would be something.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
9 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Live England vs India: Score and latest updates from first Test, day two at Headingley
10:00AM Can England fight back on day two? It is advantage India after day one of the series as they ended the first day at Headingley on 359/3. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and new captain Shubman Gil led India to a dominant day despite being put into bat by Ben Stokes. It was a chastening day for England in the field having won the toss and opted to bowl first. Stokes' decision at the toss was a talking point after the first day's play, with former England captain Michael Vaughan particularly critical of that call. 'Within the first hour it was a good pitch, so it is not easy to restrict runs,' Vaughan said on Test Match Special. 'Ben Stokes is still positive and he will come back tomorrow [today] saying let's get seven wickets. 'I am an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds that when the sun is shining, with dry weather, you bat. I was staggered when he said he was going to bowl. Traditions are out the window. You always have to pick your decisions on that moment, and not things that you did here years ago. It cannot affect what the decision is today [yesterday]. 'You look at the England side and their strength is in the batting. And there is inexperience in the bowling. Ben clearly had a gut feeling, and sometimes it has worked. We always say that on this surface, it is flat. But we will not know that for sure until we see Jasprit Bumrah bowl.' In the last nine home Tests England have won the toss, they have batted first once and won six of those matches. The last six Test matches on this ground have been won by the team bowling first. Jaiswal's incredible record against England continued yesterday; it was his fifth Test century and third against England. In the last series played between these sides in India in 2024, Jaiswal scored a mammoth 712 runs. Speaking after the first day's play, Jaiswal expressed his delight at his performance and spoke of the importance of their preparation for this series. 'It was very, very good and we all did well today. It was amazing to go out and bat, enjoy the English summer as well so we are very happy. I just try to be myself and go out there and enjoy the game. That is what I do all the time. We had very good practice sessions and matches for a few weeks. We were trying to make it as simple as possible. If there is a loose ball I try to go for it. I was just thinking to focus on my process because I have worked very hard in my preparation. I was just trying in myself and have that desire to do well. I really enjoyed it.' Gill has taken over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma and yesterday marked his first Test ton outside of Asia. Day two gets under way at 11am BST.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Harry Kane breaks Argentine hearts as Bayern win over Boca Juniors puts best supported team on verge of World Cup exit
WHO else but Harry Kane to help break the hearts of 60,000 Argies? The England skipper was at his lethal best in Miami last night, rifling in a trademark finish on 18 minutes to silence the vast majority of a packed Hard Rock Stadium. 3 3 Miguel Merentiel's brilliant 66th minute leveller sparked wild scenes of celebration. But with just five minutes remaining, you could almost hear a pin drop as former Crystal Palace ace Michael Olise was teed up by Kane before sliding home the winner to stun the South Americans. It puts the phenomenally supported Boca Juniors on the brink of an embarrassing premature Club World Cup exit - and the fact it was an Englishman who sent them hurtling towards an early flight home will surely have increased their pain. Boca certainly brought the noise - the atmosphere was absolutely tremendous - but Bayern had the clinical efficiency needed to cement their place in the Club World Cup knockout stages. And, of course, it was King Kane who set the German champs on their way with his 39th goal of the season. The equally impressive Kingsley Coman set the former Tottenham hitman free, and the left-foot finish was typically razor sharp. Vincent Kompany's men should have been home and hosed by half-time - Olise had a ninth minute effort chalked off before he almost rounded Boca keeper Agustin Marchesin on 31 minutes to increase Bayern's lead. Manuel Neuer was finally called into action on 34 minutes, fisting away Kevin Zenon's close range effort, yet the German powerhouse were in firm control. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 3 Miami boasts a huge Argentinian community while thousands had also flown in from Buenos Aires to see their heroes in yellow and blue mix it with the European giants. Their fans were incredible. Yet no matter how loud they sang, it wasn't enough to push them over the line. Harry Kane enjoys makeshift ice bath in WHEELIE BIN after 10-0 Bayern Munich rout in Club World Cup opener All looked lost. But then, almost out of nowhere, Merentiel powered in on goal, coolly flicked the ball past center-back Josip Stanisic and sweetly curled in to spark absolute mayhem in the stands. Boca believed. Hard Rock Stadium was bouncing. Yet the excellent Olise, set up by the tireless Kane, had the last laugh with his neatly taken 85th minute winner. While Bayern - who smashed 10 goals past hapless Auckland City in the first game with Kane somehow not on the scoresheet - booked their place in the last 16, Boca now need to beat the Kiwis heavily on Tuesday and hope Benfica are downed by the Germans. Kane reckons his Bundesliga champions are one of the teams to beat here and said: "It's a massive tournament, we're playing against the best teams in the world. We've always said it's us against us. "We have to compete to our highest level and we should be able to beat most teams. So far, so good in this competition."
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Nuno Espirito Santo signs new contract but Nottingham Forest appear to make gaffe in statement announcing it
NOTTINGHAM FOREST appeared to make a major gaffe in their announcing of Nuno Espirito Santo's new contract. Forest, surprisingly, announced a new deal for their Portuguese gaffer early on Saturday morning. 3 3 3 The former Porto and Spurs boss has inked a new three-year deal at the City Ground, although you wouldn't have known it if you looked at the Midlands club's website. Eagle-eyed fans spotted that Forest had mistakenly stated that Nuno inked an "x-year deal" in their statement announcing the new contract. A snippet of the club's official statement read: " Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce that Nuno Espírito Santo has signed a new contract with the Club. "The Forest Head Coach has been handed a new x-year deal by owner Evangelos Marinakis ahead of the 2025/26 campaign." Nuno, 51, is over the moon to have extended his stay at the City Ground, which is set to host UEFA Conference League football this coming season. He said: "I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football Club. 'Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the Club, which helped us achieve great things last season. "I would like to thank our owner, Mr. Marinakis, for his constant support and backing. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS "It is important to me to share a strong relationship with our ownership and we have thoroughly enjoyed working together ever since I arrived at Forest. 'Now is the time to work harder than ever as we strive for more special memories together.' Marinakis said of the new deal: "Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far. 'He has demonstrated that he maximises player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up. 'We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together and, above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club!' Forest will kick off their Premier League season on Saturday, August 17, away to Brighton. The Tricky Trees will play the first leg of their Conference League play-off on August 21.
