England head coach Steve Borthwick will be without another tighthead prop for the Nations Championship Tests in July, with Trevor Davison set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
“Trev’s not good,” Davison’s club coach, Phil Dowson, said. “He’s having surgery tomorrow and will miss the rest of the season.
“It’s primarily his knee; it’s the ligaments around it, but they’re not sure what the ACL or PCL look like, so they’ll find out more. Fingers crossed that when they go in, it doesn’t look too bad.”
Davison, who played in all five of England’s Six Nations Tests earlier this year, is the latest front-rower to be ruled out for an extended spell, with fellow tighthead Will Stuart rupturing his Achilles back in December, which leaves Borthwick in a sticky situation.
But who can he turn to for the Nations Championship tour? Here’s our take on how the depth chart sits right now.
Front-runner: Joe Heyes
One of only a handful of players who came out of the Six Nations with real credit, and he’s absolutely nailed down to start come the summer as well.
Heyes was just immense all Championship, helping turn England’s scrum into one of the best in the competition while also throwing his body around in the loose like a top-quality back-rower. This also felt like a campaign where he fully earned the trust of Borthwick, too, averaging 66 minutes per Test and only playing less than 65 minutes on one occasion.
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Simply put, he is one of the first names on the teamsheet right now, and will likely be a key man for the Nations Championship.
In the mix: Asher Opoku-Fordjour
The Sale Sharks prop has been out of action for a good while now, missing the Six Nations in the process, but his registration for the Investec Champions Cup earlier this week suggests that he is nearing a return to the field.
Should he be fully fit, you would imagine Borthwick drafts him straight back into the squad.
Opoku-Fordjour is one of the most exciting talents England have at their disposal, but crucially, he can also perform at Test level already. His attacking intent come scrum-time is a rate trait for a young prop – who normally find their feet at senior level at around 24 or 25 – and backs that up with some lovely work around the park as well.
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This also feels like another huge opportunity to just get him in and around the match-day squad and properly blood him at this level, in a similar way to the tour of the Americas last July. He’s certainly the future of the number three shirt, but could also be the man for the present as well.
Outside bet: Vilikesa Sela, George Kloska, Afolabi Fasogbon
Underneath that pair, the likes of uncapped trio Vilikesa Sela, George Kloska and Afolabi Fasogbon will also be vying for a spot in Borthwick’s squad.
All three men have been in and around the group in recent times, with Fasogbon touring with England in the summer while Sela and Kloska were also drafted into the Six Nations squad at various points, and they have all featured for England A in that time too.
Crucially, they all seem to be of a good age profile, and fit the sort of group that Borthwick is going to develop moving forward. Kloska is the oldest at 26, while Fasogbon and Sela are 21 and 20, respectively, and all have their best rugby-playing years in their future.
This could be a chance to give any one of them an extended run with the squad and maybe even in the match-day 23 come July.
Bolter: Jimmy Roots
It’s a big call considering he’s only just broken into the Exeter starting XV in recent weeks, but Jimmy Roots could be a genuine bolter for the July window.
The younger brother of England back-rower Ethan has really hit his straps in the past few weeks, taking on a big role in the Chiefs’ wins over Northampton Saints in the PREM Cup and Sale Sharks and Newcastle Red Bulls in the league as well. These performances have also come off the back of steady improvements across his time at Sandy Park, too.
He is another who seems to have all the right attributes too, going well in an attack-minded scrum while also trucking hard around the park alongside, and while it does seem like a big stretch given the options above him, the rate he’s going, he could get himself into the picture.
Watch this space: Kyle Sinckler
He might still be in France, but reports from the Daily Mail back in December suggest that PREM clubs have been made aware of his desire to make a Test comeback for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and a return to the English top flight would make him eligible for selection once again.
Sinckler is currently under contract with his current side Toulon until the end of next season, but if he were to become available, Borthwick would surely take a look at him.
The former Harlequins and Bristol Bears man would become one of the most experienced props at Borthwick’s disposal if he were back in the Test picture, with 68 Test caps for England to his name while also featuring on two British and Irish Lions tours, and that experience is something England are lacking at tighthead right now.
Aside from Heyes and Stuart, who sit on 22 and 55 caps respectively, the rest of the list above have a combined six caps between them – all of which belong to Opoku-Fordjour – while Davison himself only has eight to his name as well. Having someone like Sinckler would just bridge that gap and add further depth to the group.
There is, of course, a big if with regard to a possible return, but it’s not out of the question. Watch this space.