Eight casualties from England's 36-man Six Nations squad

Steve Borthwick’s first significant selection call of the new Six Nations cycle has landed, and as ever, what England’s head coach has not done is almost as instructive as what he has. A 36-man training group has opened the door to new blood, but it also leaves some notable names on the outside.

There are three uncapped players named in the squad in Greg Fisilau, Vilikesa Sela and Emmanuel Iyogun, and their admission has meant others have been cut.

Here are the eight biggest losers from the initial 36-man England Six Nations cut for 2026.

Nick Isiekwe
Included in the Autumn Nations Series, the squeeze has finally caught up with Isiekwe. Despite regular minutes for Saracens, he has been overtaken in the pecking order by the emergence of Arthur Clark. At 6ft 7in and 126kg, Clark brings a marginally more imposing physical profile and is roughly three years younger; although he lack Isiekwe’s ability to cover blindside.

Isiekwe has not played poorly. The 16-times Test capped forward has simply not done enough to force Borthwick’s hand in an area where England now have genuine depth and competition. For a player once viewed as a long-term option in the second row, that is a sobering reality.

Jack Kenningham
Kenningham’s omission feels as much about momentum as form. The Harlequins back rower has been jumped by Greg Fisilau, whose explosive performances for Exeter Chiefs have carried over into national selection.

Fisilau offers a similar skill set but with arguably greater ball-carrying impact, and Borthwick has clearly decided he wants that profile competing with Ben Earl at No.8. Kenningham is not out of the picture long term, but right now he is on the wrong side of a fast-moving selection curve.

Alex Dombrandt
A panellist in the 2025 Six Nations squad, the big Harlequin No.8 last featured in a Red Rose emblazoned jersey, albeit one of the England XV variety, in June 2025.

As with Kenningham, his selection chances may also have been hurt by Harlequins’ so-so domestic league form, although their shock win over La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup shows they are anything but a spent force.

Raffi Quirke
Once seen as a cornerstone of England’s future at scrum-half, Quirke’s stock has admittedly taken a hit. Injuries have stalled his progress and he has fallen behind Gus Warr at Sale Sharks, a shift that has not gone unnoticed at Test level.

England’s depth chart now reads Alex Mitchell, Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet, leaving Quirke outside the core group. His decision to leave Sale for Newcastle Red Bulls next season appears to be an attempt to reset and gain more game time.

He admitted the move was the “hardest decision of my life”, explaining that he needed a change “for my rugby and personal development, that my story just needs a new challenge and a new setting.” For now, England are moving on without him.

Ollie Sleightholme
Ollie Sleightholme is another to miss out, a reflection less of form and more of numbers. England’s back-three cupboard is overflowing, and even a try in Northampton Saints’ win over Scarlets last weekend was not enough to force his way back into Steve Borthwick’s thinking.

He has done little wrong when called up by England, scoring a brace last time out against Italy in the 2025 Six Nations.

Noah Calouri
Calouri is not a casualty in the traditional sense, but the omission will sting. The 19-year-old is likely being earmarked for another season with England Under-20s, despite already tasting senior camp last autumn as an additional training body.

His aerial ability was used in training to replicate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii ahead of the Wallabies Test, and internally he is clearly rated. Calouri himself has been open about his ambition to follow the Henry Pollock pathway.

“I know Pollock last year was in the under-20 camps, moved up into the Six Nations senior squad, went back into the under-20s and then made his debut in the Six Nations. Credit to him, he’s had a crazy rise and I would definitely like to follow in his footsteps in some of the things he’s done.”

For now, that step up will have to wait. Like Pollock before him, Calouri remains one call away.

Beno Obano
Although he hasn’t featured for England since 2021, Ben Obano can count himself unlucky. He’s been consistently strong for reigning Gallagher PREM champions Bath and a reliable source of tries.

He has clearly lost out to Emmanuel Iyogun, who has impressed with excellent form for Northampton Saints and begun to hit his straps as a scrummager having converted from the back-row. At 26, Iyogun is six years Obano’s junior, and Borthwick may see greater long-term value in developing the Saints prop at Test level, with Obano now 31.

Ted Hill
Another Bath player who must be scratching his head.

Hill last featured for in the national set-up for an England XV against France XV last June, but missed the Autumn Nations Series. A phenomenal athlete who covers second row and back row, he remains a mainstay at The Rec and one of the fastest players in the wider Bath squad.