Henry Pollock, Ben Curry, Tom Willis and Fin Baxter are the big winners after England coach Steve Borthwick named the 25 players who will received an Enhanced Elite Player Squad contract for the 2025/26 season.
Pollock, Curry, Willis, and Baxter received contracts for the first time, along with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Elliot Daly, Joe Heyes, Tom Roebuck and Will Stuart.
Contracts have been in place since October 2024, with the idea that the England coach has greater control over players' sports science and medical matters, by giving the RFU a greater say in player preparation and welfare.
The 25 contracted players are drawn from the wider 50-player EPS squad, but who can thank their luck stars, and who can rue their misfortune?
ATR takes a look.
Winners:
Henry Pollock/Ben Curry/Tom Willis – It is no secret that Borthwick is spoiled for choice in the back row and all three have been in very good form this past year. Willis has established himself as the most traditional number eight option and brought his carrying and work rate from Saracens with him.
Pollock’s rise has been remarkable, but his inclusion indicates that he has now gone past the young buck stage (even though he hasn’t yet blown out 21 candles), and that now is the time for consistent performances where he does the nitty gritty, as well as the jaw-dropping stuff week in, week out.
Curry’s rise has been slower, and in the shadow of twin brother Tom. Sale Sharks have known for a while that he can be just as good. Can his inclusion in the 25 give him the peace of mind to show that consistently?
Henry Slade/Ollie Lawrence/Elliot Daly - Two injured, and two with 30 in the rear view mirror. It was harsh on Slade that he had to leave the England tour after the first test in Argentina, but it gave Luke Northmore to show what he could do, and he did it impressively.
Northmore is hardly a young buck at 28, but Slade struggled for form earlier in the season, not helped by being shifted around by Exeter Chiefs. When he did feature in his favourite 13 shirt, he lacked the zip that made him such a handful just a few years ago.
Lawrence and Daly’s inclusion is perhaps Borthwick showing he thinks that there has been a bit too much chopping and changing in the centres for a while, and what the squad needs is a period of calm and the chance to build familiarity with those who have been involved for a while.
But were they worth a spot in the 25 over Fraser Dingwall who appeared to have solved the riddle at inside-centre last season?
Losers:
Theo Dan – The Saracens hooker has slipped down the pecking order and has not kicked on as many thought he would after muscling in as Jamie George’s understudy for club and country.
Cowan-Dickie’s return as first choice by the end of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations means Dan is third on the list.
Dan started England’s second test in Argentina and acquitted himself well. He has to hope that will be the spur to return to the form that got us all excited at the last World Cup.
Chandler Cunningham-South – While normally a back rower, Cunningham-South had become Borthwick’s go-to guy as his hybrid back row-second row player.
He played there are at the end of the Six Nations, and featured in all three England tour matches, coming off the bench both times against Argentina, and starting on the blindside against USA.
George Martin’s return to the squad probably plays a part. The Leicester Tigers second row is the hatchet man that Borthwick has lacked since Courtney Lawes’ retirement. For all his quality, and versatility, Cunningham-South doesn’t fill that role.
Jack van Poortvliet – The Leicester Tigers scrumhalf has worked his way back into the England team after injury ruled him out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
He has established himself as back up to Alex Mitchell, who benefitted most from van Poortvliet’s injury to establish himself as England’s first choice nine, and this season he added a more dynamic dimension to his game under Michael Chieka at Tigers.
The 24-yearold came off the bench to replace Ben Spencer in both tests against Argentina and scored the late winner in the second test. He started against the USA and added another try to his tally.
Mitchell is the only scrumhalf in the 25. Should anything happen to him expect van Poortvliet to hold off Spencer and fill the gap.
England Men’s enhanced EPS contracts:
Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby), George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Tom Willis (Saracens)