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Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh could be in line for England call-ups for their opening match against Ireland, with Ojomoh in line for a Test debut.
Head coach Scott Borthwick is ready to shake things up when he names his squad for the first game of the 2025 tournament at 11.30am on Tuesday 14 January.
England lost five Tests in a row – including a two-Test tour of New Zealand last summer and an autumn international against the All Blacks as well as Australia and South Africa – before returning to winning ways in the latest run against Japan.
As well as expected call-ups for Willis and Ojomah, scrum-half Alex Mitchell is set to return to the squad after missing autumn action through injury.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell is expected to return to the England squad after an injury lay-off
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 the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
The 22-year-old will miss the entire Six Nations with a dislocated shoulder he suffered on club duty for Exeter last month.
England will face defending champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on February 1 in the first meeting of the Six Nations. Borthwick’s men beat Ireland at Twickenham in last year’s tournament which denied Ireland a Grand Slam.
England beat Ireland at Twickenham in the 2024 Six Nations
‘Willis will be rewarded for his outstanding form’
James Cole of Sky Sports News:
One player putting his hand up more 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 an extremely powerful ball-carrier, who always seems to gain meters in contact – and his recent performance against Bristol was one of the best individual games of the season.
There are growing calls for Willis to start at No.8 ahead of his Saracens team-mate Ben Earl in England’s opening Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
That’s high praise indeed – and means he should be a shoo-in when Borthwick announces his full squad on Tuesday.
Is Max Ojomoh fit to make his England Test debut against Ireland?
Another unconfirmed international center knocking on the door is the Bath center Max Ojomohson of former England back row, Steve. He is uncapped but is very much on Borthwick’s radar, having been invited to England’s training camp during last year’s Six Nations.
He is in excellent form too, impressing against Northampton and Clermont recently. His silky handling skills and clever running lines make him a standout talent. And although Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade almost certain to continue as England’s midfield pairing, Ojomoh is pushing harder than ever.
Two Smiths – Marcus and Fin – will certainly be named, but who starts with 10, opinions are divided.
Will Marcus Smith regain England’s favor at No 10 in the Six Nations opener?
The lively Marcus has a unique ability to open up defenses from anywhere on the pitch – but his command of the game at international level has been questioned since England’s poor autumn season; And with full-back George Furbank injured, Borthwick could consider switching Harlequins 10 to 15.
There is no debate, however, over who should start at scrum-half in Dublin. Return of Northampton Alex Mitchell from injuries is a great reinforcement. Borthwick – unsure of his starting order – rotated 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 greater control over their striking game.
Having won just 5 of 12 games in 2024, this looks like a breakthrough year for England and Borthwick. And the Six Nations starts are no tougher than Ireland and France on back-to-back 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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