Six Nations: Tom Willis, Henry Pollock, Raffi Quirke and other potential picks for England

As the new year begins, everything is renewed, and hope endures. After an unsettling autumn, England head coach Steve Borthwick is set to announce his squad for the Six Nations Championship on Tuesday. Since winning the title in 2020, England has not finished higher than third in the competition.

Here are six new faces who could potentially bring about change for the team. Among them, Willis has been outstanding for Saracens this season, providing plenty of attacking opportunities for fly-half Fergus Burke. Having replaced Billy Vunipola at the club level, could he also replace him at the national level, becoming the heavy-hitting number eight that England has been lacking? He has also put in a lot of work on the defensive end, ranking third in tackles made across the entire Premiership.

Fitz Harding has impressed as part of Bristol’s all-action pack, but Willis's challenge will undoubtedly be of greatest concern to Alex Dombrandt, England's only specialist number eight. Borthwick is a big admirer of uncapped Ojomoh, who trained with the senior squad in 2021 and was called into the team during the 2024 Six Nations. The 24-year-old center, whose father Steve won 12 caps for England between 1994 and 1998, had his progress hampered by a foot injury in pre-season, but he returned in November.

He started alongside Ollie Lawrence in Bath’s recent loss to Northampton, and while many eyes were on the clash and melee between Lawrence and Saints’ half-back Alex Mitchell, Borthwick’s might have been drawn to Ojomoh’s subtle miss-pass that created a gap for a teammate earlier on. England lacks depth in midfield talent, and Ojomoh’s smooth passing, solid running, and understanding with Lawrence would be a major asset. Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson, and Harlequins’ Luke Northmore, Oscar Beard, and Lennox Anyanwu could also be considered, although reports that Anyanwu will be moving to France next season count against him.

Blamire is part of a Newcastle side that has been battling against low external expectations and their own low budget this season. The 27-year-old has been a bright spark in matches, scoring five tries in 10 games, and appears to have resolved early-season issues on the touchline. Bristol’s Gabriel Oghre and Northampton’s Curtis Langdon are faster, but Blamire’s combination of physicality and mobility has the best qualities of current backup hookers Theo Dan and Luke Cowan-Dickie. Blamire’s last appearance for England was a start in the win over world champions South Africa at Twickenham, which may be enough to earn him another opportunity.

Behind first-choice half-back Alex Mitchell, there is a fierce competition, with Harry Randall, Ben Spencer, and Jack van Poortvliet not having made a compelling case for selection. Quirk, who has been plagued by injuries, started the rout in Saracens’ 38-0 win over Bristol in December with a brilliant dummy and burst. This might be a little too soon. More games with his club might be a better way for him to reach test speed. A few weeks off with a minor quad tear after that Ashton Gate victory has further fueled the concerns of those who doubt his durability. But, conversely, England might feel that they can better understand Quirk’s fitness within the squad, and give him the opportunity to learn the tactics that have changed significantly since his last international appearance in 2021.

If they are good enough, they are old enough. Henry Pollock, who turns 20 on Tuesday, lacks experience, but he certainly makes up for it with confidence. The Northampton flanker has been in robust form, relishing every contest that has come his way. A Junior World Cup winner last summer and a star in England A’s win over Australia in the autumn, he looks destined for the test stage. Maro Itoje was similarly lauded early in his career, being called into a World Cup training squad at 20 and making his Six Nations debut at 21. He never looked back. Bath’s Guy Pepper, Saracens’ Ben Curry, and his Saints teammate Tom Pearson may have a counter-argument, but Pollock’s two well-timed tries against Stade Francais on Saturday may put him on a similar fast track.

The revival of England A was supposed to provide a stepping stone between the chaotic world of the Premiership and the pressure of the test arena. Harlequins winger Cadan Murley has made no mistake in crossing that divide, scoring a hat-trick against Portugal in February, followed by two tries against Australia in November. He has been consistently excellent for Harlequins, working hard and showing a keen eye for scoring opportunities. With winger Emmanuel Feyi-Waboso set to miss most of the Six Nations, Murley’s all-round game might put Bristol’s Gabriel Ibitoye (who is also recovering from injury), Saracens’ Tom Roebuck, Northampton’s George Hendy, and Leicester’s Ollie Hassell-Collins in the shade if Borthwick wants to find an alternative to Ollie Sleightholme, who was selected in the autumn.