England are in a tough spot at the moment, and it further brings the mass exodus of players to France into question.
Over the past two seasons, a number of talented English internationals have made the move across the Channel, including the likes of Owen Farrell, Jack Willis and Manu Tuilagi, and under the current rules, they are no longer eligible to represent the national side.
But, how might England look right now if the players based in France were available? Well, here is our best bet at a potential England XV with a spattering of the French contingent.
15 George Furbank
Kicking things off in this side is Northampton Saints man George Furbank, who has ousted Freddie Steward as the defacto 15. Furbank had a tough start to life on the Test stage, but since displacing the Leicester Tigers man he has become a key linchpin in this England squad.
14 Joe Marchant
The first French-based player in this side is Stade Francais man Joe Marchant. The former Harlequins ace featured for Steve Borthwick during the World Cup – often as a winger – and if he was still available for selection it is likely he would occupy a spot here. He has been a regular for the Parisians since his move and helped them to a second-place finish last year.
13 Manu Tuilagi
The familiar, imposing figure of Manu Tuilagi slides across into 13 in this selection. The powerful centre had his injury troubles during his career in England, but when fit was often the first name on the team sheet. England have also never quite been able to replicate his sheer power and pace in midfield – despite their best efforts with Ollie Lawrence and Guy Porter. Tuilagi would also add some much-needed experience to the squad at the moment.
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12 Owen Farrell
I hate the fact I’ve done this because he’s not a 12, but Owen Farrell is in at 12 (I’ll explain later). The inspirational former skipper took a step back from the England squad before the Six Nations, and with him went bag fulls of leadership and quality, to the point where it essentially created a black hole. Farrell is also the exact player you want to ice those crucial moments in tight games, which England seem to be missing right now.
11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Moving over to the left wing is Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who has been one of the brightest sparks in this current England side. The Cardiff-native has excelled at Test level since his debut in the Six Nations, and has injected a fresh dynamic to their attack.
10 Marcus Smith
The only reason Farrell is at 12 is because Marcus Smith is playing out of his skin in an England shirt right now. The axis of Smith, Farrell and Tuilagi has been used in the past, during the latter stage of the Eddie Jones era, but with Smith now arguably at the peak of his powers, it would be fantastic to see this in full flight.
9 Ben Spencer
Bath man Ben Spencer has settled in nicely to the starting nine role, and he keeps his place in this team. Whilst a lot of the talk around him is on his game management skills and kicking, he actually does suit the way Smith likes to play, and his consistently accurate passing gives the fly-half that extra bit of time on the ball to then be a threat. His kicking game has also been great this autumn.
8 Ben Earl
England’s primary ball carrier was always going to keep the number eight jersey, but Montpellier’s Sam Simmonds was also close to nabbing a shirt. Ben Earl might not be having the best autumn right now, but he has largely been the focal point of Borthwick’s side since the World Cup and is an exceptional player when on song.
7 Jack Willis
The name that always crops up when you talk about French-based players donning the England jersey is Jack Willis, and he comes straight in at seven in this team. The Toulouse man has transformed his game since hopping across the Channel and is arguably one of the best back-rowers in the world right now. He plays such a crucial role for the reigning Top 14 and European champions, and if he was eligible you think he would be the first name on Borthwick’s team sheet.
6 Courtney Lawes
I know he retired, but let’s have some fun. Brive man Courtney Lawes has just gotten better with age, and would be a fantastic addition to the current England squad. His defensive work is second-to-none, and he has also developed his skills in the breakdown to become a proper jackal threat too. Lawes would also bring heaps of experience and leadership to the squad.
5 David Ribbans
Potentially a tad harsh on George Martin here, but Toulon’s David Ribbans is another player who has come on leaps and bounds since his move to France. He has quickly become a regular in the pack for Toulon, and has also skippered the side too. Ribbans would act as that defensive enforcer too, which he did to decent effect during his Test career.
4 Maro Itoje
Retaining his spot in this squad is Maro Itoje, who has hit some decent form once again in the England jersey. The Saracens man is a quality operator in the lineout, and he gets stuck into the ugly stuff in the tight to decent effect too. He is another key leader in Borthwick’s squad at the moment and would be a great addition to this pack.
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3 Kyle Sinckler
Former Bristol Bears man Kyle Sinckler seems a man reborn since moving to Toulon, and if he was eligible that would certainly earn him an England recall. The tighthead was arguably the best in the world in his position a few years ago, and he is looking a lot closer to that form in the Top 14 at the moment with some exceptional performances for Les Rouge et Noir. Tighthead is clearly a big issue at the moment for Borthwick, but if Sinckler was available the coach would have his answer.
2 Jamie George
The current England captain would almost certainly keep his place in this side, as he has almost become synonymous with the number two shirt. He just brings so much solidity to the set-piece, and his experience is also a huge tick in his box.
1 Ellis Genge
Rounding off this starting XV is Bristol’s Ellie Genge, who like George has become the incumbent starter in his position. Genge is such an explosive ball-carrier when in full flight, and his attacking nature at scrum time makes him a valuable asset to this side. Like a lot of this team, he would add some serious leadership qualities.
Replacements
Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Will Collier, George Martin, Sam Simmonds, Harry Randall, Joe Simmonds, Henry Arundell
The bench is a fairly tough choice, considering the likes of Lewis Ludlam, Dan Robson and Jack Nowell miss out. Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Martin and Harry Randall would all likely keep their spots in the 23, given they are in Borthwick’s plans right now, but there would be a further splattering of French-based talent. Sam and Joe Simmonds never really got the crack they deserved at Test level, despite their glorious form for Exeter (Joe never won a cap!), but they have been decent in France and deserve a spot in this side. Likewise with Will Collier, who was criminally underused during his Quins career despite the issues at tighthead, and he has looked in decent touch for Castres too. Racing 92 back Henry Arundell also looked to be the future of English rugby before his move to France, however, he gets a spot in this squad.
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