The good news for England going into the New Year, and the 2026 Six Nations, is that their centre stocks are no longer being questioned, because there appear to be more good options than at any time since the Will Greenwood–Mike Tindall pairing in 2003.

The arrival at Test level of Ollie Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, and Max Ojomoh, below, has seen to that, as has the experiment of moving Tommy Freeman to outside centre, and the rejuvenation of Henry Slade, the 74-cap Exeter veteran.
The focus last weekend was on Freeman because the decision by Northampton to play him at 13 rather than wing wa...