With the clock ticking down to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, England\u2019s trajectory under Steve Borthwick is sharpening into focus.<\/p>\n
Join the RUCK\u2019s WhatsApp community here<\/a>and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Six Nations didn\u2019t just bring results \u2014 it brought decisions. Big ones. None bigger than George Ford\u2019s omission from the matchday squad after back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland. It wasn\u2019t just a response. It was a statement.<\/p>\n Borthwick isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n And for some players, that message is hard to ignore: their England chapter may already be over.<\/p>\n Here are five names who look set to miss out for as long as Borthwick is in charge.<\/p>\n 1. George Ford<\/p>\n The omission of Ford wasn\u2019t subtle.<\/p>\n After back-to-back defeats to Ireland and Scotland, Borthwick didn\u2019t rotate his senior fly-half \u2014 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.<\/p>\n Ford has been one of England\u2019s 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\u2019s solution to tomorrow\u2019s problem in the eyes of the current regime.<\/p>\n Could he return in a crisis? Possibly. But coaches rarely pivot away from an established No.10 this decisively unless they\u2019re planning long-term.<\/p>\n Right now, it feels like the page has turned.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE\u00a0TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n