LONG READ Borthwick’s ‘Burgess call’; Pollock to start? Chessum at six? Caluori unleashed? Five key issues from England squad

England head coach Steve Borthwick has settled on his men for the inaugural Nations Championship, which they kick off against world champions South Africa in Johannesburg on 4 July.

RugbyPass assesses five key issues to emerge from the 36-man squad named on Monday.

1 – The captaincy – ‘situation is not ideal’

Resting Maro Itoje is a smart long-term move. He hasn’t been the same force this season on the back of a cumulative rugby workload which would have left Hercules sagging. He has also had to deal with the loss of his mum. Some proper time away from the game will be beneficial for him and England down the line.

Going back to his predecessor Jamie George to lead the side is a safe-pair-of-hands move by Borthwick but the Test centurion is 35 now and England will do well to get 50 minutes out of him. When the game-defining decisions are being made in the closing stages of the Nations Championship matches he will be on the bench.

One thing about Itoje is that he is almost always an 80-minute man for England and the fact that George – or any hooker for that matter – isn’t, was one of the factors when he was replaced as skipper. The situation is not ideal.

2 – Benhard Janse van Rensburg ‘will need thick skin’

The most contentious selection in the squad ahead of Ollie Lawrence and Fraser Dingwall in the ever-churning England midfield. Borthwick clearly fancies the Bristol midfielder having involved him in the non-cap game against France in Vannes last Friday even before he qualified for England.

In terms of a roll of the dice, van Rensburg’s selection feels like Borthwick’s Sam Burgess call

He won’t play in England’s opening game of the Nations Championship against his native South Africa but his paperwork will be signed off in time for the Fiji game in week two.

There are a lot of doubters to win over. He will need thick skin with opinion split over his call-up. Every small mistake will be scrutinised and amplified. In terms of a roll of the dice, van Rensburg’s selection feels like Borthwick’s Sam Burgess call – and look how that turned out for Stuart Lancaster at the 2015 World Cup. Burgess felt like English rugby was waiting for him to fail – and he was from Dewsbury, not Pretoria.

3 – Henry Pollock at eight? ‘Boks would be licking their lips’

The boy wonder’s stock continues to rise almost as quickly as his Instagram numbers. Exceptional in the Prem semi-final against Leicester and very good against Exeter in the final, he has made a strong case to start for England, instead of his usual impact sub role.

Dare Borthwick put the 21-year-old in against the world champions Johannesburg? And at No 8 where he has been so effective for Northampton of late? In a perfect world it would be Tom Willis – by far and away the Prem’s most effective ball carrier last season for Saracens – wearing that jersey against South Africa but he has burned his bridges by signing for Bordeaux. The unfortunate Alex Dombrandt is ruled out until next year after damaging his ACL against France.

Ben Earl is a more established option but Pollock has the pace to get outside defenders and packs a surprising punch as he has shown for the Saints. The Boks would be licking their lips if Borthwick plumps for Pollock but he could not be in better form. And, one thing is for sure, he would back himself to the hilt.

4 – Ollie Chessum as a back-row? ‘Martin and Coles a workable blend’

Steve Borthwick waited to find out if all of his second-row alternatives made it through the play-offs intact before packing Itoje off to the beach. This may well point to a plan to pick a trio of them to try to combat South Africa’s power in the opening game. Chessum is the most likely man to pull on the No 6 shirt against the Boks although Alex Coles and George Martin have both worn it before. He did so against France in the last match of the Six Nations when he scored two tries.

If England do look a little exposed in the second row against the Boks then Chessum at six helps to balance the books.

As well as his 18st 8lb (118kg) heft, his inclusion adds an extra lineout option in the back row. In front of him, a combination of Martin and Coles looks a workable blend on paper. Coles has been excellent for Northampton and if England are set on playing the expansive game Borthwick often talks about this summer then his handling and lines of running will be useful but he will have to front up physically. South Africa are brutally unforgiving in that respect.

There are no question marks on that front over Martin who earned the respect of the Boks with his thumping defensive display against them in the 2023 World Cup semi-final but he is still feeling his way back after a long lay-off and not quite back to those levels. If England do look a little exposed in the second row against the Boks then Chessum at six helps to balance the books.

5 – Noah Caluori – ‘Is he ready? Only one way to find out’

Still just a teenager but he has beaten off some stiff competition out wide to earn a place in the squad. Tom Roebuck has gone, the thinking presumably being that Caluori has the higher ceiling – and jump – when England go aerial. There is no place for Henry Arundell either whose pace would have been an asset at Ellis Park. Borthwick took a brief look at Leicester’s Adam Radwan but he too has been cast aside.

Now Caluori is in the squad, what next? Is he just along for the ride? For the experience? Caluori had an eye-catching domestic season – no-one scored more tries in the Prem this season – but Test rugby is different. Is he ready for it? There’s only one way to find out.

However unfortunate some of his rivals have been, the prospect of Caluori in an England shirt is undoubtedly an exciting one. Fiji at the Hill Dickinson Stadium looks like the most likely venue for him to be unveiled to the wider world as well as at least a couple of the other uncapped players in the squad – van Rensburg, Greg Fisilau, George Kloska and Vilikesa Sela.