Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh could be called up for England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland, with Ojomoh set to make his Test debut.
Coach 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 returned to victory in their last match against Japan after losing five successive Tests during last summer’s two-Test tour of New Zealand and autumn internationals against the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa.
In addition to the expected call-ups of Willis and Ojomah, scrum-half Alex Mitchell is set to return to the squad after missing the autumn action through injury.
Scrumhalf Alex Mitchell is expected to return to the England squad following injury.
Sale scrum-half Raffi Quirke is also worth looking at as a replacement option on the bench, and it will be interesting to see how England fill the void left on the wing by Emmanuel Pay-Waboso’s absence.
The 22-year-old will miss the entire Six Nations after dislocating his shoulder while on club duty at Exeter last month.
England face defending champions Ireland in their Six Nations opener at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on February 1. Borthwick’s men beat Ireland at Twickenham in last year’s tournament to deny Ireland a Grand Slam.
England beat Ireland at Twickenham in the 2024 Six Nations.
‘Willis will be rewarded for his outstanding performance’
James Cole from Sky Sports News:
Here are the players who will put their hands up higher than anyone else to get a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad. Tom Willis. The Saracens number eight has been outstanding for his club this season.
Willis is a very strong ball carrier who always seems to create meters through contact and he had one of his best individual performances of the season recently against Bristol.
There are growing calls for Willis to start at number eight ahead of his Saracens team-mate Ben Earl for England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
That’s really high praise. And it means he should be a favorite when Borthwick announces his wider squad on Tuesday.
Is Max Ojomoh set to make his England Test debut against Ireland?
Another unestablished international door knocking is the Bath Centre. Max OjomoSon of former England back row Steve. He is unrestricted but was heavily on Borthwick’s radar after being called up to England’s training camp during last year’s Six Nations.
He too has been in good form recently, impressing against Northampton and Clermont. His smooth handling skills and smart running lines make him an outstanding talent. And even though Ollie Lawrence and henry slade With England’s midfield combination almost certain to continue, Ojomoh is working harder than ever.
The Two Smiths – Marcus and Finn – The nomination is certain, but opinions are divided about who starts at 10 o’clock.
Can Marcus Smith make it to number 10 for England again in the opening Six Nations?
The mercurial Marcus has the unique ability to cut open defenses from anywhere on the field. However, his management of the game at international level has been questioned following England’s poor autumn campaign. With full-back George Furbank injured, Borthwick could consider converting Harlequins 10 to 15.
But in Dublin there is no debate about who should start at scrum-half. Northampton’s return Alex Mitchell Injuries take a toll on you. Borthwick was unsure of his order, switching between three different nines during the autumn – Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack Van Poortvliet.
Mitchell’s return will not only add speed and flexibility to England’s attack, but also add more control to the kicking game.
Having won just five of their 12 games in 2024, this feels like a make-or-break year for England and Borthwick. And the start to the Six Nations doesn’t get any tougher than Ireland and France on back-to-back weekends.
Six Nations 2025 fixtures: England
- February 1: Ireland (a)
- February 8: France (h)
- February 22nd: Scotland (h)
- March 9: Italy (time)
- March 15: Wales (a)
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