Promise at prop but lock on concern: England position-by-position report after perfect fall

England closed out their autumn with a scrappy win over Argentina to extend their winning streak to 11 matches and finish the year unbeaten at home.

After suffering defeat to Ireland in Dublin at the start of the Six Nations, Steve Borthwick’s side have won every match since, with an iconic victory over the All Blacks secured last weekend.

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Borthwick will have been pleased with the progress his team has made since a difficult November 12 months ago, with the head coach beginning to build a team that looks capable of winning the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The tour to Argentina in July, held alongside the British and Irish Lions’ series against the Wallabies, allowed Borthwick to develop depth in key areas and drive competition within the squad – as should usually be the case given the size of their player pool.

But in which positions do England look strong and where do they need more development? Here is our assessment of their stocks.

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Sustain

Perhaps the area where the greatest improvement has been recorded over the past year. 2025 saw Fin Baxter and Joe Heyes really emerge as forces at Test level, while Will Stuart’s remarkable Six Nations saw him join Ellis Genge as deserved Lions tourists. The melee now becomes a real weapon. With Asher Opoku-Fordjour a very promising player capable of covering both teams, as well as younger players like Afolabi Fasogbon and Vilikesa Sela developing quickly and given the opportunities at England A, Borthwick will feel in a good position.

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Hooker

A strong position for now, but there is reason to worry for the future with Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie both at the end of their careers. While both could still reach 2027, Borthwick might be concerned that Theo Dan still feels like such a work in progress even though his explosiveness as a running back is a point of difference. Giving more time to Curtis Langdon and Gabriel Oghre, both strong on tour in July, might be worth it with George now 35.

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Lockdown

The second line remains a little worrying. As a duo, Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum are very strong, but George Martin’s ongoing injury problems are unfortunate, especially as England lack other tighthead lock options of sufficient size to mix it in with the bigger packs. That said, Alex Coles is progressing well – the long-limbed lock is overcoming mountains of work – and Chandler Cunningham-South has been given opportunities in the engine room for club and country. Junior Kpoku could be a name to watch in the longer term if he returns to the Racing 92 Prem. Charlie Ewels’ value was underlined during the Argentina tour and in the final line-up at the end of the Pumas’ autumn clash.

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Last row

While there is a nagging thought that England’s lack of big backfield ball carriers following Tom Willis’ decision to move up to the Top 14 is not ideal, the manner in which England have armed a swarming, giggling clan of backline scavengers is impressive. Ben Curry and Emeka Ilione, who Borthwick adores, are yet to return from injury to complement Guy Pepper, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill and Henry Pollock as open options, leaving Ben Earl likely to occupy the No.8 jersey for the foreseeable future. Cunningham-South also offers an alternative.

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Scrum half

Alex Mitchell looks completely secure in his starting place despite the departure of Ben Spencer against Argentina in England’s last match in November. Mitchell came in and added some extra dynamism in this game. Behind them, England have had both Raffi Quirke and Jack van Poortvliet injured in camp throughout the autumn – each has had fitness issues but they could come to supplant Spencer in time, as impressive as Bath’s scrum-half controller is. Harry Randall is also present this year.

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Fly half

George Ford was unusually error-prone in November’s final game but showed why he has been reinstated as England’s first-choice number 10 in two outstanding performances against Australia and the All Blacks. At 32 years old, he is still calm, confident and collected. Fin Smith’s arrival will surely come after a remarkable Six Nations earlier this year, but for now he may have to settle for a high-quality substitute role. Marcus Smith may now be seen as much of a full-back as a fly-half, but his position as a third-string playmaker is testament to England’s depth.

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Beyond that, there are some concerns – Charlie Atkinson and Jamie Benson have been included in the England A squad, but neither are currently their club’s first choice 10. But it would be a shock if, injuries permitting, this trio is not in place until the World Cup; a return of Owen Farrell now seems unlikely.

Center

The midfield landscape has improved considerably since the start of 2025, when an Ollie Lawrence/Henry Slade partnership was maintained as much out of necessity and consistency as anything. Lawrence returned after a horrific injury at the Six Nations, while Fraser Dingwall showed in the All Blacks’ victory all the ‘glue’ qualities that make him an ideal facilitator and defensive organizer. The Tommy Freeman project at 13 was put on hold due to injury, but the players and coaching staff are keen to continue it; Max Ojomoh – who might not even have been in the team if Seb Atkinson had been fit – showed the quality that lies beyond. Slade, for now, remains an experienced alternative, although he has a decision to make about the future of his club, and perhaps his country.

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Wing

Another position where Borthwick may feel loaded with options. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso remains a point of difference with ball in hand, while Tom Roebuck looks every inch a Test winger and will have been disappointed by two untimely injuries. Tommy Freeman remains one of the best in the world when used on a global scale, and although Elliot Daly was rusty on his return from a broken arm, that was perhaps to be expected after a long absence following the Lions tour. The value of the veteran, capable of covering 13-15, was highlighted by his head coach before the match.

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The tracking capabilities of the back three have become even more important since changes to the Escorts Act last November; in Roebuck, Freeman, Daly and Feyi-Waboso, Borthwick believes he has four outstanding operators, with spring-booted teenager Noah Caluori an upcoming force at Saracens. Henry Arundell will also remain in the mix.

Full back

Three starts in November for Freddie Steward were the reward for a player who went away and worked to improve his game, with the returning Leicester a better counter-attacker and a better one-on-one defender now, although his aerial prowess has been threatened by the law changes. His early withdrawal against New Zealand after a botched assessment of a head injury showed, however, how Marcus Smith can spark the attack in unstructured situations – there is still a feeling that George Furbank could return to take the Six Nations jersey if he can shake off the injury problems that have plagued him over the past 11 months, but England have options, with Daly also around.