Steve Borthwick unveiled a 43-man training squad on Monday for a three-day camp at Pennyhill Park, the first stage of England’s preparations ahead of July’s Nations Championship. Among the standout names included by the England head coach are Charlie Bracken, Archie McParland and Benhard Janse van Rensburg, all rewarded with call-ups, while George Martin also makes his long-awaited return after yet another spell disrupted by injuries.
A new generation backed by Steve Borthwick
Having impressed for Saracens, where he has established himself as a starter alongside Owen Farrell during the second half of the season, scrum-half Charlie Bracken has deservedly been rewarded. The son of Kyran Bracken, a World Cup winner with England in 2003, he becomes the first son of a player from that golden generation to earn a place in the senior England setup.
In a similar vein, Archie McParland continues his rapid rise at Northampton after taking advantage of Alex Mitchell’s injury absence to build up valuable game time this season. McParland first emerged at a remarkably young age with the Saints, making his debut at just 17 years old, and had already been knocking on the door of international recognition following appearances for England Under-20s and England A.
His energetic style of play and sharp tempo around the breakdown make him stand out from more established options such as Mitchell or Ben Spencer. With England’s scrum-half depth chart evolving ahead of the summer campaign, the battle for the final place in the matchday group could realistically come down to McParland and Jack van Poortvliet.
The other major talking point surrounds Benhard Janse van Rensburg. The Bristol Bears centre, who was born in Pretoria, becomes eligible for England on July 8 through the five-year residency rule. Powerful, aggressive in contact and capable both of carrying hard over the gain-line and distributing effectively in tight spaces, his profile differs significantly from England’s more traditional midfield options and he has reportedly been monitored closely by Borthwick for quite some time.
However, his inclusion remains a divisive topic. Janse van Rensburg was not born in England, did not grow up there and has no English ancestry. In some respects, his arrival comes at the expense of players such as Ollie Lawrence or Max Ojomoh, who were raised dreaming of representing England on the international stage.
His selection appears even more controversial considering that brothers Jack and Tom Willis remain unavailable simply because they are playing, (and will play the next year for Tom) in the French league. Nevertheless, the former South Africa Under-20 international is still expected to make his England debut this summer, potentially against Fiji or Argentina, as he will not yet be eligible for the opening fixture against his country of birth, South Africa.
Another player attracting significant attention is Noah Caluori, who now appears firmly part of England’s short-term plans. The Saracens winger is enjoying an outstanding campaign, scoring tries freely in both the Premiership and the Championship. Still only 19 years old, Caluori had already been involved in previous England training camps but now looks set to genuinely challenge for a place in the senior side this summer.
His pace, sharp footwork and, above all, his outstanding timing and aerial ability make him a very different type of winger compared to the more physical profiles traditionally favoured by England in recent years.
The squad also includes Kepu Tuipulotu, arguably the most exciting young hooker currently emerging in English rugby. The 20-year-old Bath forward has impressed with his explosiveness and mobility in open play, while maintaining excellent standards at the line-out. Although he faces competition from several other players, the context surrounding England’s hooker position gives him a genuine opportunity.
With Jamie George expected to retire after next year and Luke Cowan-Dickie continuing to struggle physically, Tuipulotu could use these three days at Pennyhill Park to fully showcase his qualities and potentially move ahead of players such as Theo Dan in the pecking order for the role of third-choice hooker.
Finally, the return of George Martin is another major positive for the England coaching staff. Sidelined for almost fifteen months due to knee and shoulder injuries, the Leicester Tigers lock is finally beginning to regain some physical continuity. Despite having played only a handful of matches since returning — totalling just 147 minutes this season — Borthwick still views Martin as a cornerstone of England’s forward pack, perhaps even the country’s best lock when fully fit.
His dominance in collisions and defensive intensity were among the standout features of England’s 2023 World Cup campaign, particularly during the semi-final clash against South Africa. If he can remain healthy, Martin’s comeback could prove just as important for England this summer as the emergence of the new generation around him.
England training squad :
Forwards:
Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Beno Obano (Bath Rugby), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby), Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby).
Backs:
Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Charlie Bracken (Saracens), Noah Caluori (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), Archie McParland (Northampton Saints), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers).
Rehabilitation: Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Not considered for selection: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Will Muir (Bath Rugby), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby).
England’s Nations Championship fixtures
- Round One: July 4 – South Africa vs England
- Round Two : July 11 – Fiji vs England
- Round Three: July 18 – Argentina vs England
- Round Four: November 8 – England vs Australia
- Round Five: November 14 – England vs Japan
- Round Six: November 21 – England vs New Zealand
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