Charlie Elliott: My England XV for the Summer Tour to Argentina

England‘s summer tour to Argentina will provide a lot of new faces with some experience of Test rugby. 

A large contingent of England players are going on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, so gaps have been left behind to be filled by up-and-coming talent. 

Steve Borthwick recently named a 33-man squad for a training camp, with 14 uncapped players being selected. This didn’t include Bath or Northampton Saints players due to their European finals. 

Charlie Elliott goes through the XV that he would select for the first Test in Buenos Aires.

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15 Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers) 

There have been plenty of questions asked about Steward’s abilities, but he is still the best out-and-out fullback that will be available for England this summer. 

With plenty of experience already, he will be a great asset and is still a class operator, especially aerially. 

Joe Carpenter definitely has a claim here, but Steward just about makes it in. 

If he doesn’t start well, though, it may be a good idea to introduce a new player into this position for the second Test. 

14 Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks) 

Another who is unbelievable aerially, Roebuck can’t have been a million miles away from a Lions call-up following a very good year for Sale. 

A winger who has had so much joy latching onto George Ford’s kicks this season at club level, their partnership should translate well on this tour. 

Also solid defensively, which is a bonus. 

13 Max Ojomoh (Bath) 

A technically brilliant player who is also very quick, Ojomoh has been a standout performer this season for Bath. 

With his club side being so successful and the centre being a big part of it, it is unsurprising that international attention has come his way. 

He deserves a chance to showcase himself at Test level. 

12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints) 

Mr Consistent for Northampton Saints, Dingwall is such a composed presence and could work really well with Ojomoh’s more electric brand of rugby. 

He keeps things ticking and does the basics to an extremely high level, and with a little bit more experience than Ojomoh internationally, could help to guide him too. 

He was an outside shot for the Lions at one point, which shows how highly he is rated. 

11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs) 

As long as he is fit, it would be very surprising if Feyi-Waboso didn’t start the first Test for England, given his talent. 

An unfortunate shoulder injury has meant that he has been absent since December, but he was included in the recent training camp and looks set to play the final game of the Premiership season. 

Probably would have been a Lion if not for his injury. 

10 George Ford (Sale Sharks) 

Possibly the best player to have never been selected for a Lions tour, Ford has been in tremendous form all season when he has been fit. 

He is the brains behind the Sale attack and is always looking to make things happen through sheer playmaking ability. 

Often described as being like a head coach on the pitch, his experience could also be hugely beneficial in what is expected to be a younger England squad. 

9 Ben Spencer (Bath) 

Spencer was one of the best performers in Bath’s recent Challenge Cup final win over Lyon and continues to be a key cog in their attack. 

His kicking game is brilliant, and as club captain at Bath, he is clearly a very good leader. 

With ten England caps already, the 32-year-old will look to add to his collection this summer. 

Raffi Quirke and Jack van Poortvliet will be waiting in the wings, and if Steve Borthwick would rather go for a bit of youth, he may want to pick one of those two. 

1 Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks) 

Rodd is massively underrated and is one of the best scrummagers in the Premiership at the moment. 

He also has a bit about him on the ball and gets some decent touches for Sale, with plenty of involvement. 

Just a great out-and-out prop really. 

2 Jamie George (Saracens) 

George will be looking to resurrect his England career a little bit after losing out on his captaincy in January. 

Still a great player, the hooker is ultra-consistent and is another who is a great leader, so will be valuable on the tour. 

Curtis Langdon has been brilliant for Saints in the Champions Cup, especially and may get an opportunity instead. 

3 Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester) 

England are blessed with two young tightheads who are absolutely outstanding, Fasogbon and Asher Opoku-Fordjour. 

For me, the former should start on this tour as he hasn’t quite had as much experience yet and would benefit more from playing than Opoku-Fordjour. 

In terms of development, it may be a good idea to put Opoku-Fordjour at loosehead and see how he does at Test level, given that he is cited as being able to play both sides. 

Fasogbon is hugely confident, great in the scrum and a genuinely exciting talent. 

4 Arthur Clark (Gloucester) 

Second row is the barest position for England, with Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin all missing due to either the Lions tour or injury. 

Gloucester lock Clark has had a very strong season for the Cherry and Whites as they’ve proved everyone wrong to muster up a play-off push. 

A dominant player who can carry very well, Clark should adapt to Test rugby pretty well. 

5 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints) 

It has been a very good Champions Cup for Coles, who has been a monstrous presence in the second row for Saints. 

They may have narrowly missed out on silverware in Cardiff, but Coles did get a brace of tries. 

Clearly a bit of a big-game player, he has a few England caps under his belt but could really cement his spot as being the next in line. 

6 Ted Hill (Bath) 

Hill is an absolute dream of a flanker. With powerful carries, great tackling and tireless work, he is just a great player to watch in that position. 

Form-wise, he has been very good for Bath, fitting perfectly with the physical approach that they have adopted this season. 

Still only 26, he could well force himself into being a regular for his country. 

7 Ben Curry (Sale Sharks) 

Curry is just a super consistent, all-rounder who does everything needed from a back row to such a high level. 

Sometimes slightly overshadowed due to his brother Tom, Ben is a fine player in his own right and deserves the chance to play some international rugby this summer after his snub from the Lions. 

In terms of form, there aren’t many who have had better seasons than Curry. 

8 Tom Willis (Saracens) 

This back row is an absolute joke, with Willis added into the mix. 

A truly dominant player, the Saracens man has brought plenty of hard-hits, carries and general physicality to his side this season. 

Could possibly have had a few more England caps by now, but this tour would be a perfect place to show what he is made of. 

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