The players outside the England squad Steve Borthwick should bring in

Such was its age profile and promise that England’s class of 2019 was supposed to be set for an exciting World Cup cycle that would see the side go from strength to strength. As things turned out, the ensuing four years would be rather more turbulent.

Steve Borthwick’s original squad of 33 contained 11 players aged 25 or under in Bevan Rodd, Theo Dan, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Arundell and Freddie Steward. That represents a strong foundation, particularly in the back five of the pack. Only one of them, Arundell, is off to the Top 14. He will remain eligible for the Six Nations and could be back with Bath or Gloucester soon enough.

As he demonstrated during his Leicester Tigers tenure and has subsequently reinforced over the past three months, Borthwick values know-how and will not hesitate to select veterans that are still up to the task in their mid-30s. The expertise of Aled Walters, his lieutenant in charge of conditioning, seems to be a major crutch in this regard.

That means other mainstays of 2023 will remain in the England mix with Borthwick targeting gradual refinement rather than radical overhaul. Even so, we can expect new faces over the coming months.

Age: 24
Club: Leicester Tigers
Position: Tighthead prop

The scrum is a logical place to start given how Saturday’s second half unfolded against South Africa. Set-piece frailties have now accounted for England, or at least severely hampered them, in two consecutive World Cup defeats. A repeat in 2027 would be unthinkable and the Rugby Football Union’s age-grade tight-five camps should accelerate and align the development of props, hookers and locks around the country.

At 24, Heyes already has plenty of miles on the clock. He has appeared for the Leicester first-team over 125 times and has seven England caps. When Kyle Sinckler suffered a pectoral injury during World Cup pre-season, Borthwick brought him in on standby. On the tour of Australia in 2022, Heyes strung together bright cameos and should continue to milk Dan Cole for knowledge at Tigers.

Ehren Painter, hoping to invigorate his young career at Exeter Chiefs, is another tighthead to watch. James Harper of Sale Sharks has admirers and Alofabi Fasogbon is one for the future, while Will Stuart is bound to be challenged to step up as well. On the other side of the front row, will Val Rapava-Ruskin get another look in? Fin Baxter at Harlequins is a 21-year-old protégé of Joe Marler.