Ranking England's back-row options ahead of the new season

No team in world rugby can match the depth that England has in their back-row currently.

That is not to say Steve Borthwick has the best loose forwards on the planet, though he certainly has some, but he could feasibly field three or four different triumvirates without an alarming drop in standard. The recent tour of Argentina and the United States proved that, as the British and Irish Lions had robbed England of three of their back-rows (four, including Ollie Chessum).

With so much depth, the harsh reality is that some excellent players will earn few, if any, caps over the coming years, as they could see up to 10 players ahead of them. So here is an assessment of England’s back-row options heading into the new season and where they rank.

For this ranking, those playing in France, and thus ineligible, will not be included. Jack Willis misses out, as does Lewis Ludlam, Zach Mercer, Sam Simmonds and Billy Vunipola. Similarly, those that are yet to be capped by England will also not be included, such as Jack Kenningham, Greg Fisilau, Alfie Barbeary and Emeka Ilione.

Fixture

Internationals

England

25 - 7

Full-time

Australia

All Stats and Data

The players will be ranked in four tiers: ‘locked in’ – those not only guaranteed to make an England squad, but very likely to start, ‘safe’ – those expected to make a wider England squad, but will by vying for a bench spot, ‘in the mix’ – those who could make their way into Borthwick’s wider squad with a strong start to the season, and ‘work to do’ – those who are capped but largely out of contention currently.

Locked in

1. Tom Curry
The Lions series with Australia started with many questioning Curry’s place in the No.7 jersey for the first Test. Three matches later, there was a strong case that he was the player of the series for the Lions, finishing with two tries to his name. It was a series where the flanker showed what a player he is and why he is arguably England’s best player, let alone back-row.

2. Ben Earl
In all honesty, the Lions series may not have gone as well as Earl would have liked. A muted cameo from the bench in the first Test was followed by his omission from the squad entirely by Andy Farrell for the following match. Borthwick will not be bothered in the least, though, and will have full confidence in his most dependable player since the 2023 World Cup. With that said, his days in the No.8 jersey may be numbered, with a shift to the side of the scrum being the tactic moving forward.

3. Ollie Chessum
Chessum, like his Leicester Tigers team-mate George Martin, is a lock/ flanker hybrid, so he is included in this list. Both players are guaranteed a place in an England squad on talent alone, with their versatility being an added bonus. It seems increasingly unlikely, however, that neither will be deployed on the flank in the coming season.

4. Tom Willis
Earl’s shift to the flank is a result of Willis’ surge in form over the past year. The Saracens No.8 started last season by missing out on the squad for the Autumn Nations Series, he finished it with two Herculean efforts in a series win in Argentina. Soon after, he was rewarded with an EPS contract. The No.8 jersey looks to be his, which is why he is so far up this list.

Safe

5. Ben Curry
The 2024/25 season was a breakout year for Ben Curry in England colours. He started the season with caps to his name, but no real performances of note in Test rugby. He is now a viable option to start, but perhaps most potent from the bench, where he ensures there is absolutely no drop in intensity in England’s back-row. His Elite Player Squad (EPS) contract is a reflection of how highly he is rated by Borthwick.

6. Henry Pollock
Despite having two tries for England to his name, being a Lions tourist – where his performances were far from quiet – and even being firmly in the heads of European champions Bordeaux-Begles, it is strange to think that Pollock only has just over half-an-hour of Test rugby under his belt. There is little to no doubt that he will add to that this year, his EPS contract proves that, but the 20-year-old is still yet to fully prove himself in the Test arena. Maybe a clash with the All Blacks at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium is the place to do that?

7. Sam Underhill
Persistent injuries may be the reason Bath’s Underhill was not included in the 25-man EPS squad, but anyone who does not think the flanker is a worthy member of an England squad simply does not watch England enough. Borthwick will know exactly what he will get every time Underhill pulls the white jersey on. A high output of tackles is nice, but a high output of crunching shots behind the gainline is very rare, and Underhill spearheaded England’s refashioned defence in Argentina. Possibly it’s Underhill’s lack of impact as a substitute compared to his England rivals which may have worked against him when England were compiling their EPS squad as well.

8. Guy Pepper
Pollock may be the young gun that everyone is talking about, but Pepper may actually be an oven-ready Test flanker. He may not have a highlights reel of barnstorming runs and tries that the Saints back-row has, though his cameo from the bench in the second Test against Argentina certainly exhibited his ball-carrying credentials, but Test matches are won and lost at the breakdown, and a dog like Pepper is an expert.

In the mix

9. Chandler Cunningham-South
Having been a perennial member of England matchday squads over the past 18 months, Cunningham-South was probably the most surprising omission from the EPS squad. But the 22-year-old’s impact for club and country had diminished last season. He finished the season with a physically dominant display against the USA, but he is staring down the barrel of an autumn without any Test rugby. He has to put his head down at Quins and lift his game, which, at such a young age, he will do.

10. Alex Dombrandt
Dombrandt is slipping further down this list while others are climbing up, which will worry the Harlequins captain. When taking into account the uncapped players coming through as well, he will really have to take his game to another level at the age of 28. The No.8 has had to settle for bench cameos for England over the past two years, but a quiet July series ensured Tom Willis is comfortably ahead of him in the No.8 pecking order.

11. Ted Hill
Hill’s face just doesn’t fit with Borthwick. Despite being the paragon of consistency for Bath, and possessing an athletic profile few can match in the world, the Bath star has had to feed on scraps thrown to him by the England head coach, with a handful of minutes from the bench rarely the platform to prove yourself. This is one player many would like to see get a fair chance, but who does Borthwick drop?

12. Alex Coles
Like Chessum and Martin, and even Maro Itoje, Coles is another hybrid player, but one that is more likely to slot into the second-row rather than the flank. That may work to his advantage when it comes to being selected as the lock reserves are thinner. Then again, Borthwick has already opted to trial Cunningham-South in the engine room, and Hill is capable of doing the same.

Introducing our Enhanced Elite Player Squad 🤩

Head coach Steve Borthwick has announced the 25 men’s players that have been awarded Enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts for the 2025/26 season.

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) August 11, 2025

Work to do

13. Tom Pearson
After an injury-blighted campaign, Pearson now has to work on making the Saints back-row, which will be tough, before he sets his sights on England and adding to his one cap earned in a World Cup warm-up. A strong carrier with some smart running lines, a breakdown technician and a strong lineout option, the 25-year-old has the tools to excel in Test rugby, but he’s failed to kick on over the last couple of seasons, and now has a mountain to climb with so many contenders vying to make the England back-row.

14. Ethan Roots
Roots’ man-of-the-match debut against Italy in the first match of this current World Cup cycle seems a long time ago. The New Zealand-born flanker has since been a member of an Exeter team that have struggled, and that has surely affected his form and hopes of making any England squads.

15. Callum Chick
This season marks a new era for Chick, moving to Northampton after years of carrying a beleaguered Newcastle outfit. He will need to be nothing short of a force of nature for the first few weeks if he is to skyrocket up the rankings and make England’s Autumn Nations Squad, but this move to the Midlands is the best chance the 28-year-old has of adding to his two caps earned in 2021.