England squad announcement as Steve Borthwick causes a stir with Six Nations picks
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England head coach Steve Borthwick has announced his squad for the upcoming Six Nations with a few bold calls made.
It proved to be a difficult year for England in 2024 as they went on a five-Test losing streak before ending the run with a win over Japan last time out.
Last year's Six Nations also proved to be a disappointment as they finished third with defeats against Scotland and Ireland.
It was the fourth consecutive year England had lost the Calcutta Cup to Scotland to add insult to injury.
Steve Borthwick has selected his England squad for the Six Nations
PA
Borthwick is keen to turn things around at England heading into 2025 and the Six Nations is the perfect place to start.
And he's made some big changes to his squad for the upcoming tournament, which gets underway in just a few weeks.
The most notable change is in the captaincy with Maro Itoje replacing Jamie George as the skipper.
George has been selected as a vice-captain along with Ellis Genge in the 36-man playing squad.
Explaining his choice in captain, Borthwick said: “With 88 England caps, Maro has been a central figure in this squad for many years, bringing a vast amount of experience both on and off the field.
“He’s a calm, influential leader, renowned for his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him.
“His strong rapport with the squad and coaches, combined with his leadership experience at Saracens, makes him ideally placed to take on this responsibility.
“I’d like to recognise the outstanding leadership of Jamie George, whose contributions as captain have been significant and will continue to play an important role as a vice-captain.”
All eyes on @SixNationsRugby 💪
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) January 14, 2025
Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player training squad in preparation for the upcoming 2025 Guinness Men's Six Nations 🌹@O2 | #WearTheRose | #GuinnessM6N
Harlequins duo Cadan Murley and Oscar Beard are the only two uncapped players in the squad with Max Ojomoh and Henry Pollock missing out.
There was no space for either Ben Spencer or Dan Cole in Borthwick's 36-man playing squad.
England fans were not happy at seeing Spencer snubbed for this year's Six Nations squad.
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Ben Spencer has missed out
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One message read: "No Ben Spencer? Best English scrum half in the league not chosen after being made a scapegoat in the autumn."
Another moaned: "Van poortvliet over Spencer. When will Borthwick get over his Leicester players??"
A third said: "I really feel for Ben Spencer, what more could he possibly do to get in the squad?"
One other wrote: "Ted Hill deserves this !! So happy for him. Sad for Ben Spencer though who would be my England number nine."
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