Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh could be in line for England call-ups for their Six Nations opener against Ireland, with Ojomoh in line for a Test debut.
Manager Scott Borthwick will shake things up when he names his squad for the opening match of the 2025 tournament at 11.30am on Tuesday 14 January.
England lost five Tests in a row – including a two-Test tour of New Zealand last summer and autumn internationals against the All Blacks, as well as Australia and South Africa – before getting back to winning ways in their last contest against Japan.
As well as anticipated call-ups for Willis and Ojomah, scrum-half Alex Mitchell is set to return to the squad after missing the autumn campaign through injury.
Selling fly-half Raffi Quirke could also be worth looking at as an alternative option from the bench, while it will be interesting to see how England fill the void left in the wing by the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
The 22-year-old will miss the entire Six Nations due to the dislocated shoulder he suffered on club duty for Exeter last month.
England take on reigning champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in their opening Six Nations match on February 1. Borthwick’s men beat Ireland at Twickenham in last year’s tournament, which denied Ireland the Grand Slam.
England got the best of Ireland at Twickenham in the 2024 Six Nations
“Willis will be rewarded for outstanding form”
Sky Sports News’ James Cole:
One player putting his hand up above any other for a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad is Tom Willis. The Saracens No 8 has been outstanding for his club this season.
Willis is an extremely powerful ball-carrier who always seems to have meters in touch – and his recent performance against Bristol was one of the best individual performances of the season.
There are growing calls for Willis to start at No.8 ahead of Saracens team-mate Ben Earl in England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
That’s high praise indeed – and means he should be a fixture when Borthwick announces his wider squad on Tuesday.
Is Max Ojomoh in line for his England Test debut against Ireland?
Another international undecided knocking on the door is the bathroom center Max Ojomohson of former England back row Steve. He is underdogs but very much on Borthwick’s radar, having been called up to England’s training camp during last year’s Six Nations.
He is also in excellent form, recently impressing against Northampton and Clermont. His silky running skills and clever running lines make him a standout talent. And although Ollie Lawrence AND Henry Slade are almost certain to continue as England’s midfield pairing, Ojomoh is pushing harder than ever.
The Two Smiths – Marcus and Fin – will surely be mentioned, but who starts at 10, divides the opinion.
Will Marcus Smith get the nod for England back at No 10 in their Six Nations opener?
The mercurial Marcus has a unique ability to cut defenses open from anywhere on the pitch – but his management of the game at international level has been called into question since England’s poor autumn campaign; and with defender George Furbank injured, Borthwick could consider switching Harlequins 10 to 15.
However, there is no debating who should start at scrum-half in Dublin. The Return of Northampton Alex Mitchell from injury is a massive boost. Borthwick – unsure of his batting order – switched between three different Nos during the fall: Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack Van Poortvliet.
Mitchell’s return will add pace and fluidity to England’s attack, as well as more control in their batting game.
Having won just 5 of 12 games in 2024, this feels like a new year for England and Borthwick. And Six Nations starts are no tougher than Ireland and France on back-to-back weekends.
Six Nations 2025: England
- February 1: Ireland (a)
- February 8: France (h)
- February 22: Scotland (h)
- March 9: Italy (h)
- March 15: wales (a)
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