Steve Borthwick has opted for the Northampton centre, his ‘glue’ player, over an array of talented England backs
Even Steve Borthwick admits that picking his team to face Australia on Saturday was tricky. And even after he had made his mind up, there was a training ground snapshot which underlined the slim margins involved. “There was a piece of play where the skill showed by the team not starting was absolutely incredible,” said Borthwick. “I couldn’t praise them highly enough for the way they tested the team that is starting.”
Which neatly sums up England’s intensifying backline debate. Ollie Lawrence, Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell, Henry Slade, Cadan Murley and Max Ojomoh are all fit and can’t even make the matchday 23. Not to mention the up-and-coming Noah Caluori. Nor Owen Farrell. Let alone the injured Elliot Daly, George Furbank, Seb Atkinson, Ollie Sleightholme and Will Muir.
Written by Robert Kitson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/29/fraser-dingwall-steve-borthwick-england-australia-rugby-union-autumn-nation-series under the title “Dingwall backed to plot course through the midfield maze for England”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
