Tom Willis and Max Ojomoh could be in line for an England call-up for their opening match against Ireland, with Ojomoh in line for a Test debut.
Head coach Scott Borthwick will shake things up when he names his squad for the opening game of the 2025 tournament on Tuesday 14 January at 11.30am.
England lost five Tests in a row – including a two-Test tour of New Zealand last summer and autumn internationals against the All Blacks, as well as Australia and South Africa – before returning to winning ways in their latest run against Japan.
In addition to the expected call-ups of Willis and Ojomah, scrum-half Alex Mitchell will return to the squad after missing autumn action through injury.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell is expected to return to the England squad after an injury spell
The sale of scrum-half Raffi Quirke could also be worth a look as an alternative option from the bench, while it will be interesting to see how England fill the void on the wing left by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
The 22-year-old will miss the entire Six Nations with a dislocated shoulder he suffered on club duty for Exeter last month.
England face defending champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in their Six Nations opener on February 1. Borthwick's men beat Ireland at Twickenham in last year's tournament to deny Ireland a Grand Slam.
England beat Ireland at Twickenham in the 2024 Six Nations
'Willis will be rewarded for his outstanding form'
Sky Sports News' James Cole:
One player putting his hand up more than any other for a call-up to Steve Borthwick's Six Nations squad is Tom Willis. The Saracens number 8 has been outstanding for his club this season.
Willis is an extremely powerful ball-carrier, who always seems to make meters in contact – and his recent performance against Bristol was one of the best individual displays of the season.
Calls are mounting for Willis to start at No.8 ahead of Saracens team-mate Ben Earl in England's Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
That's high praise indeed – and means he should be in when Borthwick announces his full squad on Tuesday.
Is Max Ojomoh fit to make his England Test debut against Ireland?
Another unestablished international knocking on the door is the Bath Centre Max Ojomohson of former England back row, Steve. He is uncapped but is very much on Borthwick's radar, having been called up to England's training camp during last year's Six Nations.
He is in great form too, impressing against Northampton and Clermont recently. His silky handling skills and clever running lines make him an exceptional talent. And though Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade are almost certain to continue as England's midfield pairing, Ojomoh is pushing harder than ever.
Two Smiths – Marcus and Fin – will certainly be named, but who starts at 10, opinions are divided.
Will Marcus Smith get the nod again for England at No 10 in the Six Nations opener?
The mercurial Marcus has a unique ability to cut defenses open from anywhere on the pitch – but his command of the game at international level has been called into question since England's poor autumn campaign; and with full-back George Furbank injured, Borthwick could consider switching Harlequins 10 to 15.
There is no debate, however, over who should start at half-time in Dublin. Return of Northampton Alex Mitchell from injury is a huge boost. Borthwick – unsure of his order – moved between three different 9s during the autumn: Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack Van Poortvliet.
The return of Mitchell will add pace and fluidity to England's attack, as well as more control in their stroke play.
Having won just 5 of 12 games in 2024, this looks like a breakout year for England and Borthwick. And Six Nations starts are no tougher than Ireland and France on consecutive weekends.
Six Nations 2025 fixtures: England
- February 1: Ireland (a)
- February 8: France (h)
- February 22: Scotland (h)
- March 9: Italy (h)
- March 15: Wales (a)
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