• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

England 2025/26

Pieter Steph du Teague said:
Weirdly I could see Calouri getting a go this game. Borthwick clearly likes his 14 to be the tall, rangy winger who can compete in the air. None of Feyi-Waboso, Arundell or Murley fit that mould, so Calouri could actually be next cab off the rank for that role.
Click to expand...
Or...could they move Steward to the wing for the aerial winger spot and bring Daly to 15? Maybe interchanging the two on attack and defence.
 
Geordie said:
Agree at lock. Bamber, Kpoku, Sodeke and Burrows are four lads who are all 6'8 or 6'9. Bamber is clearly impressing the sale coaches with his physicality, Sanderson was really singing his praises the other day. Sodeke looks a huge unit already and he can certainly add some aswell. Ive spoken of George Martin on the NZ thread...hes only 24, so i really hope this layoff has finally fixed the problem and he can get a proper run of fitness and full form. Hes a very different lock to the others we have, and most of the youngsters coming through who are more athletic power.

Oh for Alfie Barbeary staying at hooker eh? Lol. I think Tuipolotu is one they'll be keeping their fingers crossed that he develops quickly. I like Seb Blake aswell and often wonder why he was never really looked at...similar to Langdon. i just dont see anyone else coming through who stands out. Maybe Dan being back solely at Saracens can just get his head down and work on his faulty areas.

Yeah FB isnt ideal either. Freeman is going to be an interesting watch. I think they clearly want to move him, i suspect they've earmarked 13, but he would make a top class 15 aswell.
Click to expand...
Jibulu is the hooker with the most promise IMO. I could quite easily see it being LCD, Jibulu and Tuipolotu come 2027.

Centre, add in Will Joseph and hopefully a returning Joe Marchant and suddenly 13 looks a lot more robust.

15 has fewer options. Redshaw has a very good all round game but Gloucester isn’t typically the best place to be for aspiring England players.
 
BPM said:
Jibulu is the hooker with the most promise IMO. I could quite easily see it being LCD, Jibulu and Tuipolotu come 2027.

Centre, add in Will Joseph and hopefully a returning Joe Marchant and suddenly 13 looks a lot more robust.

15 has fewer options. Redshaw has a very good all round game but Gloucester isn't typically the best place to be for aspiring England players.
Click to expand...
If I was marcus smith I would seriously be considering to asking for some club time at 15. I know most arent fans of having him there, but I think most of his issues there could be minimised with experience.

I dont see a path to consistent international time at 10. Ford is playing some of his best rugby, great balance of stability and x factor with his drop goals and finn smith is a perfect backup to take over after the next WC.

I think having steward around is great for a differnt option but we really need another option that can slot in for furbank when we want to run that style. I get most will just not be for it but we really dont have many player lik furbank that borthwick seems keen on.
 
Booboobang said:
If I was marcus smith I would seriously be considering to asking for some club time at 15. I know most arent fans of having him there, but I think most of his issues there could be minimised with experience.

I dont see a path to consistent international time at 10. Ford is playing some of his best rugby, great balance of stability and x factor with his drop goals and finn smith is a perfect backup to take over after the next WC.

I think having steward around is great for a differnt option but we really need another option that can slot in for furbank when we want to run that style. I get most will just not be for it but we really dont have many player lik furbank that borthwick seems keen on.
Click to expand...
Not sure who Quins then play at 10. Listening to a Quins coach on the radio last week he was pretty clear in "Marcus is our 10, we pay him to play 10".
Someone might know more than I, in how much say do England have over central contracts and where people play at there club.
 
Booboobang said:
I think having steward around is great for a differnt option but we really need another option that can slot in for furbank when we want to run that style. I get most will just not be for it but we really dont have many player lik furbank that borthwick seems keen on.
Click to expand...
I'd say we've more who can play like Furbank than can play like Freddie.
De Glanville is the obvious one, but his face just doesn't seem to fit for some reason.
Carpenter can do it, though it's not his natural game, the there's the likes of Donoghue, Barton who are stuck somewhere between FB and FH.
We've got no-one else who plays like Freddie.
The 3rd way of playing FB is the likes of Hodge or Hendy (which Freeman or Arundell could pull off, if given the usual 20-25 matches there - both are on 18, but both had the majority whilst still teenagers, probably more in need of 5-10 matches as a refresher)

That said, I do think that FB could be Marcus' position-of-best-fit... If/when he had 20-25 starts there. But that would mean Quins starting Benson or Evans at FH whilst leaving Green at home - or bringing in another FH who is better than Green, whilst still paying marquee wages to Marcus at FB (and risking Marcus being unhappy and leaving)
Which isn't happening this side of am injury crisis.
 
Last edited:
Which Tyler said:
I'd say we've more who can play like Furbank than can play like Freddie.
De Glanville is the obvious one, but his face just doesn't seem to fit for some reason.
Carpenter can do it, though it's not his natural game, the there's the likes of Donoghue, Barton who are stuck somewhere between FB and FH.
We've got no-one else who plays like Freddie.
The 3rd way of playing FB is the likes of Hodge or Hendy (which Freeman or Arundell could pull off, if given the usual 20-25 matches there - both are on 18, but both had the majority whilst still teenagers, probably more in need of 5-10 matches as a refresher)

That said, I do think that FB could be Marcus' position-of-best-fit... If/when he had 20-25 starts there. But that would mean Quins starting Benson or Evans at FH whilst leaving Green at home - or bringing in another FH who is better than Green, whilst still paying marquee wages to Marcus at FB (and risking Marcus being unhappy and leaving)
Which isn't happening this side of am injury crisis.
Click to expand...

I can’t see M Smith ever nailing down the 15 shirt. And I’m barring injuries it’s also probably unlikely he’ll own 10 either.

There’s probably a good parallel in size and style with Damien McKenzie who’s flitted between 10 and 15 and is now deployed more often than not from the bench. It’s a squad game and all that, but whether M would be happy being cameo central remains to be seen.
 
Vieux Talonneur said:
I can't see M Smith ever nailing down the 15 shirt. And I'm barring injuries it's also probably unlikely he'll own 10 either.

There's probably a good parallel in size and style with Damien McKenzie who's flitted between 10 and 15 and is now deployed more often than not from the bench. It's a squad game and all that, but whether M would be happy being cameo central remains to be seen.
Click to expand...
Once Ford retires Marcus will be second choice so will definitely be getting game time as there isn’t any other 10s around in that experience/ age bracket.
 
Don't Skip Leg Day said:
Once Ford retires Marcus will be second choice so will definitely be getting game time as there isn't any other 10s around in that experience/ age bracket.
Click to expand...

A lot of things can change very quickly but at the moment it looks like Ford and F are the first choices to go through to the RWC.

M will turn 29 in the Feb following that and, as he started v young (as did Ford) he might not actually have that many top class rugby miles left in his legs (as the Times noted the other week Ford doesn’t break into a sprint unless he really has to whereas, my words, M buzzes around like an annoyed wasp). RWCs are always a watershed and second choice at that point in his career may not be appealing and you’d think there would be good offers from France or Japan.
 

Similar threads

TRF_Olyy
2025 World Rugby U20 Championship
5 6 7
Replies
136
Views
9K
Which Tyler
Which Tyler
NotTooAmused
Scotland 2025/26
Replies
10
Views
495
NotTooAmused
NotTooAmused
TRF_Olyy
England A vs Australia A - 17/11/24
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
4K
Rugbyfan564
R
AlRums
Samoa - Scotland -18/07/25 08:35
Replies
10
Views
1K
African Monkey
A
BRSTLDRGN
PREM(iership) Rugby 25/26 Round 1
8 9 10
Replies
181
Views
6K
Ddanno
Ddanno

Latest posts

Sponsored
UnlistMe
Back
Top