England head coach Steve Borthwick has made some brutal calls in his latest squad selections \u2013 and a handful of big names look to have no future in the shirt.<\/p>\n
Here are the major players currently out of favour:<\/p>\n
\u274c 1. Owen Farrell<\/p>\n
Once England\u2019s iron-willed skipper and talisman, Owen Farrell now finds himself on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old shocked the rugby world when he stepped back from Test rugby last year, citing the relentless \u201cpoison\u201d of social media abuse. While he\u2019s hinted at a potential return, Farrell has been clear with Borthwick: he only wants to be selected on merit, not reputation.<\/p>\n
The problem? England\u2019s fly-half stocks are bursting. George Ford remains a trusted lieutenant, Fin Smith has emerged as a genuine game-changer at just 22, and Marcus Smith was handed a central contract<\/a> ahead of Farrell \u2013 a major statement from the RFU.<\/p>\n Farrell is back with Saracens after an injury-troubled stint at Racing 92, but with Maro Itoje installed as captain and England\u2019s attack finally clicking without him, Borthwick may well decide the time has come to move forward.<\/p>\n A legend of the shirt, but one whose England story could already be written.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n