Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh could be in line for England call-ups for their Six Nations opener against Ireland, with Ojomoh in line for a Test debut.
Head coach Scott Borthwick is set to shake things up when he names his squad for the opening match of the 2025 tournament at 11.30am on Tuesday, January 14.
England lost five Tests in a row – spanning a two-Test tour of New Zealand last summer and Autumn internationals against the All Blacks, as well as Australia and South Africa – before getting back to winning ways in their last run-out against Japan.
As well as anticipated call-ups for Willis and Ojomah, scrum-half Alex Mitchell is set to return to the squad after having missed the Autumn action due to injury.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell is expected to return to the England squad after a spell out to injury
Sale scrum-half Raffi Quirke could also be worth a look as an alternative option from the bench, while it will be interesting to see how England fill the void left on the wing by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s absence.
The 22-year-old will miss the entire Six Nations because of the dislocated shoulder he sustained on club duty for Exeter last month.
England face defending champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in their Six Nations opener on February 1. Borthwick’s men beat Ireland at Twickenham in last year’s tournament which denied Ireland the Grand Slam.
England got the better of Ireland at Twickenham in the 2024 Six Nations
‘Willis set to be rewarded for outstanding form’
Sky Sports News’ James Cole:
The one player raising his hand higher than any other for a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad is Tom Willis. The Saracens No 8 has been outstanding for his club this season.
Willis is a supremely powerful ball-carrier, who seems to always make metres in contact – and his recent performance against Bristol was one of the best individual displays of the season.
There are growing calls for Willis to start at No 8 ahead of his Saracens teammate, Ben Earl, in England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
That is high praise indeed – and means he should be a shoo-in when Borthwick announces his wider squad on Tuesday.
Another unestablished international knocking on the door, is Bath centre Max Ojomoh, son of former England back row, Steve. He’s uncapped but very much on Borthwick’s radar, having been called up to England’s training camp during last year’s Six Nations.
He too is in excellent form, impressing recently against Northampton and Clermont. His silky handling skills and smart running lines make him a stand-out talent. And although Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade are almost certain to continue as England’s midfield pairing, Ojomoh is pushing harder than ever.
The two Smiths – Marcus and Fin – are sure to be named but who starts at 10, divides opinion.
Will Marcus Smith get the nod for England again at No 10 in their Six Nations opener?
The mercurial Marcus has a unique ability to cut open defences from anywhere on the field – but his game management at international level has been questioned since England’s poor Autumn campaign; and with fullback George Furbank injured, Borthwick may consider switching the Harlequins 10 to 15.
There is, however, no debate over who should start at scrum-half in Dublin. The return of Northampton’s Alex Mitchell from injury is a massive boost. Borthwick – unsure of his pecking order – switched between three different 9s during the autumn: Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack Van Poortvliet.
The return of Mitchell will add pace and fluidity to England’s attack, as well as more control to their kicking game.
Having won just 5 out of 12 games in 2024, this feels like a make-or-break year for England and Borthwick. And Six Nations starts don’t come tougher than Ireland and France in successive weekends.
Six Nations 2025 fixtures: England
- February 1: Ireland (a)
- February 8: France (h)
- February 22: Scotland (h)
- March 9: Italy (h)
- March 15: Wales (a)
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