With the clock ticking down to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, England’s trajectory under Steve Borthwick is sharpening into focus.
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This year’s Six Nations didn’t just bring results — it brought decisions. Big ones. None bigger than George Ford’s omission from the matchday squad after back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland. It wasn’t just a response. It was a statement.
Borthwick isn’t thinking short-term anymore. Every squad announcement, every selection call, is now a trial run for Australia 2027. The margins are tighter, the messaging clearer.
And for some players, that message is hard to ignore: their England chapter may already be over.
Here are five names who look set to miss out for as long as Borthwick is in charge.
1. George Ford
The omission of Ford wasn’t subtle.
After back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland, Borthwick didn’t rotate his senior fly-half — he removed him entirely. With Fin Smith handed the reins and the coaching staff doubling down on a refreshed backline, it signalled a strategic shift rather than a temporary tweak.
Ford has been one of England’s most dependable operators over the last decade. But international rugby moves fast, and World Cup cycles move faster. At 30+, he now looks like yesterday’s solution to tomorrow’s problem in the eyes of the current regime.
Could he return in a crisis? Possibly. But coaches rarely pivot away from an established No.10 this decisively unless they’re planning long-term.
Right now, it feels like the page has turned.
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