It is a common sense deduction that the 25 players awarded £150,000 annual EPS central contracts recently are England coach Steve Borthwick’s chosen men for the 2027 World Cup.

Ideally, with a year-long runway to the tournament, it should be a statement of bristling intent.
Each of the names should resonate loudly with England supporters – with at least half a dozen of them knocking loudly on the door of a World XV.
However, such is the state of Borthwick’s team after a fifth place finish in the 2026 Six Nations, followed by a summer battering by South Africa, that there are none in contentio...