Borthwick faces England selection dilemmas as World Cup nears

England head coach Steve Borthwick faces a balancing act between relying on established players and rewarding current form as the 2027 Rugby World Cup draws closer. His 36-man training squad for November’s Tests includes a number of regulars short of minutes or form, while centre selection remains uncertain and injuries have disrupted his options.

England begin the inaugural Nations Championship against Australia on 8 November, then play Japan on 14 November and New Zealand on 21 November. The matches are part of a limited run of competitive fixtures before the World Cup in Australia next October: BBC Sport says the home nations have only nine such matches remaining before the tournament.

Borthwick has recalled centre Joe Marchant and selected Gloucester’s Will Joseph after a strong start to the season. Uncapped scrum-half Archie McParland and hooker Kepu Tuipulotu are also in the squad. But former England wing Chris Ashton said the selection was based largely on experience and the relationships Borthwick has built with players, rather than form.

Several established players, including Fin Baxter, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, Will Stuart, George Furbank and Ben Curry, have had limited playing time or struggled for form this season, BBC Sport reports. Ashton said Borthwick might feel under pressure to get results and that there were few players who had played much rugby.

Injuries and selection questions

Injuries add to the uncertainty. Benhard Janse van Rensburg is out, while centre Seb Atkinson and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso are on the rehabilitation list. Fly-half Fin Smith has a calf niggle and will miss training this week, though the injury is not thought to be serious; Charlie Atkinson has been called up.

The forwards’ likely make-up appears clearer than the backline, according to BBC Sport. At centre, Atkinson and Henry Slade started England’s last Test, a victory over Argentina in July, but Marchant and Joseph are competing for the number 13 shirt and a possible World Cup place. Ugo Monye, a former England player, described Marchant and Joseph as being in a contest for the position and said versatility would matter when choosing a World Cup squad.

England have won three of their eight matches so far in 2026, a less convincing run than the winning sequence they had before last year’s autumn series, BBC Sport says. The squad will spend a short period in camp before returning to their clubs for one more league round, then rejoin a week before the Australia match. That leaves Borthwick limited preparation time with the full group as he builds towards November and the World Cup.