By Charlie Elliott
As the start of the Six Nations edges ever closer and England go through their last preparations before heading to Dublin to face holders Ireland, debates over who Steve Borthwick should start have begun to swirl.
Plenty of questions have already been asked about the squad selection, but now it has been announced, the attention shifts to the game itself.
Here is Charlie Elliott’s view on the XV who must begin the game on Saturday.
Outside Backs
15- Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
As the only out-and-out fullback in the squad, it looks almost nailed on that Steward is going to start in Dublin.
Plenty have questioned his defensive work, but it sometimes seems that the criticism he faces for this is slightly unfair.
His work from the high ball is outstanding and with the number of kicks seen in Test rugby, this is key.
It would be a huge surprise if Elliot Daly or even Marcus Smith started here, and unless Steward has a poor couple of games he probably won’t get dropped.
14- Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Someone else who is outstanding under the high ball is Tom Roebuck.
He compliments the other winger in this team well by providing a different dynamic for attack.
Has been very good this season with his worst patch of form coming right on the cusp of the Autumn Internationals, which ruined his chances of getting minutes then.
A big opportunity to cement himself as a consistent England starter, which he is capable of doing.
13- Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
Centre was a bit of a weak link last Autumn, with Lawrence not at his usual best.
Not many in this squad are capable of winning games themselves, but the Bath centre is a world class player when at his best.
An outstanding ball carrier who can break lines with ease, he also has the defensive work required of Test level.
Currently, the best England have in the position, so needs to start.
12- Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Another who had a disappointing Autumn was Slade, but in his defence, he was coming back from an injury.
Provides a bit more of a deft touch compared to the power of Lawrence, so he has the potential to form a formidable partnership.
Will have an extra incentive to perform after the last campaign, as a poor Six Nations could see him replaced by the younger crop of players coming through, such as Max Ojomoh who was unlucky to not get called up at all.
READ MORE: Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade can work in Six Nations – Brad Barritt
11- Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
A traditional winger in every sense, Sleightholme is much more direct than Roebuck, but together they have every base covered.
Scarily quick and fast-footed, the wide man was one of the better players in Autumn and deserves a consistent run of international games.
Still only 24 years old, the Saints star has heaps of potential and going into the next World Cup will likely be nailed on as a starter.
Halfbacks
10- Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Smith just oozes quality in everything he does.
Sometimes questioned for not turning up in big matches, the quality is there and it is just about harnessing that when it matters.
Technically brilliant and his kicking ability could prove to be a thorn in Ireland’s side.
Pretty nailed on as a starter, with the slight possibility he features at full-back, in which case George Ford is probably the next one up.
9- Ben Spencer (Bath)
England fans were in uproar when Spencer was completely omitted from the squad, but after a couple of injuries at scrum-half, he made it in.
He is the best in the position in the country and it was a disgrace that he was initially left out.
Getting on a bit age-wise, the main criticism behind selecting him is that some think that a youngster like Raffi Quirke should be playing.
But the best players need to be on the pitch, so if England have any chance then they need to start him.
Front Row
1- Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
A slightly contentious pick, Asher is the future of England’s front row, already starting consistently in the Prem at age 20.
Hugely powerful and in recent weeks has looked to get the ball in hand more, with some joy.
Can play either side which is a huge attribute to have going forward and giving him minutes will only make him better.
Teammate Bevan Rodd is an outside shout for this position, helped by his performance against Frans Malherbe a couple of weeks ago, but seems to not be amongst Borthwick’s favourites.
Are there players who are currently slightly better? Yes. But for the sake of nurturing a genuinely world-class talent, he should start.
2- Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Jamie George would likely have started if he wasn’t injured, but his loss is Cowan-Dickie’s game.
Impeccable from the lineout and often finds himself sneaking around the back of the maul, LCD can do it at both ends.
The only criticism is that his stamina is lacking at times, but after a very good season so far, he deserves to start.
Can also help out the loosehead in this team with some familiarity…
3- Will Stuart (Bath)
Stuart is part of an absolutely monstrous front row unit at Bath and has upped gear since being surrounded by world-class talent week in, week out.
Confident with the ball in hand and a world-class scrummager, Stuart can get one over on the Ireland front row.
Being able to play when needed with the ball is a good asset to have in Test rugby, especially against opposition like Ireland who can make the game scrappy at times.
With plenty of options off the bench, the front row is one of the strengths of England.
Second Row
4- Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Captain Fantastic, Itoje has earned this opportunity after years of putting in the hard graft with a Red Rose on his chest.
Superb from lock and hugely experienced, the tall and strong player can do it all.
He is nicknamed ‘The Pearl’ after his preciousness to every team he plays in, which sums up how he is rated in the squad.
READ MORE: Maro Itoje demands hard work during Six Nations as England look to put difficult 2024 behind them
5- George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Cut from a similar cloth to Itoje, Martin is always a strong performer and seems to have cemented himself as an England starter already.
The Tigers man is the prototype for a good second row, being tall and strong, and can compete with the best in the business.
For all the issues England has had recently, second row has not been an issue.
Back Row
6- Ted Hill (Bath)
Finally, he is in the squad.
Everyone was calling for Hill to make the squad after being arguably the best flanker in the Premiership.
For Bath, he has been outstanding and now that he has made the tournament, surely he is going to impress enough to get a start.
Back row is very competitive, with Ben Curry unlucky to miss out at seven, but Hill deserves his chance.
7- Ben Earl (Saracens)
Earl has absolutely everything, but his standout is his powerful ball-carrying ability.
An engine in every sense, he can do the dirty work defensively.
Chandler Cunningham-South is another who has missed out, but his form in the Prem season so far earns him this spot.
8- Tom Willis (Saracens)
Like his older brother Jack, Tom is often overlooked by England but is better than his lack of caps suggests.
After being underestimated for years, Jack left England to pursue a career in France, where he has excelled, so for England to avoid the same fate for Tom they need to start taking him seriously internationally.
He has the perfect mix of raw power and technical ability, which leads to a perfect player that needs to be utilised. Must start.
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