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It’s Week 3 of the Autumn International Rugby Calendar. International rugby moves quickly. Six years can feel like a lifetime in Test rugby, and nowhere is this more evident than in comparing England’s iconic 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final victory over New Zealand with the 2025 England squad preparing to face the All Blacks in the Quilter Nations Series.
Mako Vunipola – Still playing professionally; retired from England duty, currently playing D2 Rugby in France for Vannes and considering being a part of the coaching staff for Tonga in 2027’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Jamie George – Still at Saracens; current England hooker. Starting vs New Zealand At Allianz Twickenham.
Kyle Sinckler – Active professionally, signed for Toulon in 2024; not in current England squad. Considering a move back to England.
Maro Itoje – England captain, Saracens. Starting vs New Zealand at Allianz Twickenham
Courtney Lawes – Still professional; no longer in England squad.Currently playing in France, D2 for Brive.
Tom Curry – Sale Sharks; still in the England squad. Benched for Saturday’s Test vs New Zealand
Sam Underhill – Bath; still selected for England, Starting vs New Zealand after being rested vs Fiji.
Billy Vunipola – Playing professionally; England career appears over.
Ben Youngs – Retired in May 2025, making him England’s most-capped male player in history.
George Ford – Sale Sharks; starting vs New Zealand at Allianz Twickenham
Jonny May – Playing in France; no longer an England player. Pro D2 club Soyaux Angoulême
Owen Farrell – Active; moved back to Saracens last summer,
Manu Tuilagi – Playing in France for Bayonne; effectively retired from England.
Anthony Watson – Retired on medical grounds (2025).
Elliot Daly – Still at Saracens; intermittently recalled by England.
Luke Cowan-Dickie – Still in the England squad.
Joe Marler – Retired from Rugby in 2024.
Dan Cole – Retired in 2025.
George Kruis – Retired.
Mark Wilson – Retired.
Willi Heinz – Retired.
Henry Slade – Exeter Chiefs, in the England Training Squad.
Jonathan Joseph – Semi-retired from top-tier rugby.
Fin Baxter
Jamie George
Joe Heyes
Maro Itoje (c)
Alex Coles
Guy Pepper
Sam Underhill
Ben Earl
Alex Mitchell
George Ford
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Fraser Dingwall
Ollie Lawrence
Tom Roebuck
Freddie Steward
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Ellis Genge
Will Stuart
Chandler Cunningham-South
Tom Curry
Henry Pollock
Ben Spencer
Marcus Smith
Out of the original 23 from the 2019 semi-final victory, only six survived into the 2025 match-day squad:
Jamie George
Maro Itoje
Sam Underhill
George Ford
Tom Curry
Luke Cowan-Dickie
These six form the backbone of a much younger 2025 squad, with Itoje now the captain and Ford the veteran playmaker.
Still one of the world’s most reliable hookers, a leader on and off the pitch, and a veteran presence in a youthful England squad.
Now skipper of both club and country, Itoje remains one of world rugby’s premier forwards.
Despite injuries and suspensions, his form when fit remains elite. A tackling machine.
Experienced, composed, and still England’s tactical general. Signed a long-term deal with Sale.
A talismanic flanker and a Lions star, Curry continues to be central to England’s back-row balance.
Back in the national setup after injury issues, providing key depth at hooker.
Physical toll, form, injuries, foreign moves, and retirements rapidly cleared out much of the old guard.
Steward, Mitchell, Feyi-Waboso, Roebuck, Coles, and Pepper represent a new nucleus and a new generation.
Jamie George (2), Itoje (4), Underhill (7), Curry (20), Ford (10), Cowan-Dickie (16).
These are the cultural carriers linking eras.
Both sides look almost entirely different from the 2019 semi-final.
Only six players remain from the legendary 2019 semi-final, and each plays a crucial leadership role in the 2025 squad.
They now guide a fresh, exciting, young England side aiming to forge its own identity against the All Blacks.
The 2019 veterans provided the platform.
The 2025 generation must now write the next chapter.