STADIUM: Twickenham Stadium
HEAD COACH: Eddie Jones (AUS)
CAPTAIN: tbc
NOTABLE INCLUSIONS:
England have been brave with their selections, as Eddie Jones continues to build towards next year’s World Cup in France. Highly-rated Wasps forward Alfie Barbeary will bring some raw energy to the pack, and has proven himself to be excellent at the breakdown this season, whilst calls far and wide for number 8s Alex Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds (of Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs respectively) to be included have been answered. Leicester Tigers fly-half George Ford has also been given the nod at the second attempt, with Saracens’ Owen Farell set to miss the tournament through injury, and England will no doubt look to him to be the source of their creativity.
2021 PLACING: 5th
2022 TOURNAMENT PREDICTION:
It will be really interesting to see the development made by England this year, given that they have some brand new faces in the camp, as well as some who have been on the fringes of selection in recent years. There is a definite feeling that Eddie Jones is moving forwards and isn’t simply going for “same old, same old” with his selections. With the quality they have, a title is not completely out of reach, but a more realistic placing could be second or third.
