Ranking 21 England back-row options ahead of the 2026/27 season

This time next year, Steve Borthwick will be very close to finalising his squad for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and the back-row will be the cause of many sleepless nights.

A lot has changed since ranking England’s back-row options last year – not only did Borthwick lose his preferred No.8 Tom Willis, who has joined his brother, Jack, in France, but a midseason shift in the back-row make-up occurred following a manhandling at the hands of Ireland at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium. This was all just a minor subplot in a season where England’s results took a dramatic dive.

These changes have opened the door for new players, though, with two of the five changes to the Elite Player Squad being additions in the back-row. On top of that, there are some signings in the Gallagher PREM this year that will throw the proverbial cat among the pigeons in terms of selection.

So here is a list of 21 back-row options Borthwick has heading into the season, ranked from those who are locked in to those who have work to do.

While there is a host of French-based England internationals, this list will only include players eligible to represent England, be it capped or uncapped.

Fixture

Nations Championship

England

07:10

8 Nov 26

Australia

All Stats and Data

Locked in

1. Ben Earl
Started every game for England last season, either at No.8 or No.7 against Ireland, and was one of the few players whose level did not drop in what was a dismal season for England. It would take a bold person to argue that Earl hasn’t consistently been England’s best player over the past 18 months, and is quite possibly now the first player on the team-sheet.

2. Ollie Chessum
Ever since Borthwick adopted the policy of picking a big six, Big Red, as he is known, has started every game there, and that doesn’t look like changing. It seems counterintuitive to field a lock/flanker hybrid when there are so many specialist flankers to choose from, but this is what is working currently. Moreover, with George Martin back on the scene, Alex Coles becoming a regular in England 23s and Maro Itoje ever-present, the second-row is becoming a crowded room.

3. Guy Pepper
The Bath flanker started at openside flanker in England’s most recent outing against Argentina, therefore he logically is one of Borthwick’s three first-choice back-rows. That may be specious logic, but Pepper did produce a barnstorming display against the Pumas, albeit with a yellow card. At the age of 23, his career trajectory is only going one way, and perhaps the opposite direction of some of his rivals.

4. Tom Curry
This past year was one where Curry slipped down the England pecking order. Following the British & Irish Lions series, he was part of the vaunted Pom Squad on the bench during the autumn campaign, but he did not look his usual self in starts against Ireland and South Africa in 2026. A calf injury did hamper his season, but Borthwick also appears keen to manage his minutes as, though he is only 28, he has many miles on the clock already with over nine years of Test rugby under his belt.

5. Henry Pollock
The fifth and final member of the back-row handed enhanced EPS contracts (and a new addition alongside Pepper), Pollock is almost guaranteed to feature in England’s matchday squad, but, much to the dismay of huge swathes of England’s fandom, starts have been hard to come by. Whether Borthwick sees him as an impact sub extraordinaire or whether he wants to temper the hysteria around the 21-year-old, only one of his 13 caps was a start, and it was arguably his most muted display against Ireland. For now, he is working well from the bench, shown by his hat-trick against Fiji in July.

Safe

6. Sam Underhill
Overlooked again for an EPS contract, but still very much part of Borthwick’s plans. Simply, England’s best performances over the last 18 months have all included Underhill in the back-row. Now that five back-rows have EPS contracts, the Bath man may be the only other player who can be deemed ‘safe’ in an England squad, but there is plenty of competition below him.

In the mix

7. Greg Fisilau
While it is tricky placing uncapped players in these rankings as there are no Test performances to judge them by, the fact that Exeter Chiefs’ Fisilau has been included in England’s past two squads at the expense of some recognised internationals indicates how highly Borthwick rates him.

8. Courtney Lawes
England have a 110-cap wildcard added to the mix this season in the form of three-time Lions tourist and former England captain Lawes. After two years in Pro D2 with Brive, the 37-year-old is back in England with Sale Sharks and anything could happen. This time next year, the Saints legend could be on his way to the World Cup or could be nowhere near the England squad. Let’s see how it unfolds.

9. Ben Curry
Having been awarded an EPS contract in the summer of 2025, Ben Curry didn’t play a minute of Test rugby last season and didn’t play much more for Sale Sharks due to two hamstring operations. He was really hitting his straps in Test rugby prior to that, so the past year has been a devastating blow, but Borthwick will hope that he will return to those levels when he returns.

10. Hoskins Sotutu
This may be too high on the list for the 14-cap All Black. Equally, it may be too low. The Newcastle Red Bulls-bound No.8 is another unknown quantity among England’s back-row ranks, and while he doesn’t have an England cap to his name, there is little doubt that Borthwick will have a look at him before the World Cup, and probably as soon as possible.

11. Ted Hill
The supremely athletic Hill hasn’t won an England cap in over a year, but, bizarrely, he may have actually moved up the pecking order. This is partly down to a slump in form by his rivals, but Borthwick’s shift to fielding a hybrid lock/flanker at No.6 has boosted his chances. That was shown by his inclusion in the Nations Championship squad in July, though a sixth cap didn’t materialise. An ankle injury at the start of the season scuppered his Test progress, but he appears to be part of the reckoning still.

12. Chandler Cunningham-South
If Hill’s inclusion in the Nations Championship squad was a sign of progress, Cunningham-South’s exclusion was yet another sign of his regression (though he was called up midway through the tour). After being included in the Six Nations squad, and only being granted a handful of minutes from the bench in the final two matches, the Harlequin was omitted initially for the July series, plunging him deeper into his career limbo. At the age of 23, the future is still immensely bright for Cunningham-South, but his career has nevertheless stalled since making his Test debut two-and-a-half years ago. A big season lies ahead, particularly with Alex Dombrandt out.

13. Jack Kenningham
Though he is yet to earn an elusive cap, Kenningham is knocking on the door, and his inclusion in the matchday squad for England XV’s recent loss to France XV means the jackaling supremo is still eyed as an option, and, at the age of 26, has plenty of time to get that cap.

14. Alex Dombrandt
As mentioned, the Harlequins skipper is expected to miss much of the upcoming season with an ACL injury suffered in England XV’s loss to France XV. That will not only see him slip further down the England pecking order, but could effectively end his hopes of making the World Cup now.

Work to do

15. Ethan Roots
Captained England A against Ireland in February, which perhaps shows that he is still highly regarded among the England coaches, but hasn’t done enough over the past year to move the dial.

16. Tom Pearson
Still stranded in the Test wilderness. Formed a tasty back-row with Roots and Fisilau against an All Blacks XV for England A in November but missed the subsequent three A or XV fixtures.

17. Alfie Barbeary
A move to Saracens over the summer could be the change of scenery Barbeary needs to earn his first England cap this year. Still being uncapped at the age of 25 is a scenario few imagined almost a decade ago when he was bouncing players left, right and centre for Wasps as a teenager.

18. Callum Chick
The move to Northampton Saints last summer was made to boost Chick’s England chances, and while it may have helped slightly, it was nowhere near enough to make him a genuine option.

19. Emeka Ilione
Leicester Tigers’ 24-year-old back-row cruelly suffered a shoulder injury just days after being included in an England squad in October 2025, and his return in January was short-lived before being sidelined again with another shoulder injury. He is now expected to be out until 2027, which means he faces a colossal task to earn his first cap before the World Cup.

20. Fitz Harding
Bluntly, of all the uncapped players that are on the England radar, the Bristol Bears captain, 27, is the least likely to make that final step. That is in no way a slight on his ability, just a reflection of the options at Borthwick’s disposal.

21. Lewis Ludlow
Gloucester’s Ludlow has two caps to his name, but at the age of 32 when the season starts, it is highly unlikely he will add to those.