England Rugby Squad Nations Championship: Five Big Questions

England rugby squad Nations Championship news arrives on Sunday, when Steve Borthwick names a 36-man group for the November Tests at Twickenham against Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Fewer than twelve months remain before the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, so every pick now says something about where he is heading.

For me, the biggest call is not the headline recall but how Borthwick treats Maro Itoje. The captain is set to be back, and I think the way he is used this autumn tells us more about England’s World Cup plans than any other selection.

England Rugby Squad 2026: How The 36 Will Be Made Up

The shape of the squad is already fixed. Borthwick has a core of 25 players on England’s enhanced contracts and needs to add 11 more to reach 36, according to The i Paper. Those 11 places are where the debate sits.

Key fact	Detail
Squad announcement	Sunday
Squad size	36
Enhanced-contract core	25
Places still to fill	11
November opponents	Australia, Japan, New Zealand (all at Twickenham)

England come in after a chastening Six Nations, then won two of their three summer matches, finishing with a 31-24 win in Argentina in mid-July. The finals weekend follows at the end of November.

Others have moved first. Andy Farrell has named a 36-man Ireland group with Dan Sheehan as captain. Fabien Galthie has gone bigger with a 42-man France squad.

Steve Borthwick England Squad: Lawes, Marchant And The Last 11 Places

Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant are both back in the Premiership at Sale Sharks after spells in France. Borthwick could restore them ahead of Greg Fisilau and Tobias Elliott, who attended last month’s England training camp.

Lawes is 37. He played 55 minutes in Sale’s home defeat by Glasgow last Saturday, still winning turnovers and securing line-outs, but his pace round the field is not what it was. Marchant looked sharp, chasing and catching a George Ford bomb and defending hard. He was off limits for three years in Paris under England’s selection policy.

The other open positions are:

• Back row: Alex Coles, George Martin, Ollie Chessum and Guy Pepper are the possible big No 6s.
• Midfield: Seb Atkinson, Henry Slade and Benhard Janse van Rensburg.
• Back three: George Hendy, Joe Carpenter and George Barton are pushing the incumbents.

Hendy has been match-winning for Northampton Saints in the Prem final victories of 2024 and 2026. “I just want to throw my hat in the ring for England and I’m really quite serious about that,” the 24-year-old told BBC Sport, adding that he is happy to play wing or full-back.

Janse van Rensburg is a doubt. He came off after heavy head knocks against Argentina in July and against Northampton three weeks ago, and Bristol Bears coach Pat Lam said on Thursday that he is still going through return-to-play protocols.

Is Maro Itoje An Automatic Starter For England?

Itoje took a well-earned rest during the summer and is set to regain the captaincy. Questioning his place would once have been sacrilege. Now a little rotation looks worth considering, if only to give the injury-prone George Martin valuable Test exposure.

There is also the discipline issue. England’s problem is penalties and yellow cards, and that has to be cut out against sides of this quality. You can read more on the captain in our piece on the Maro Itoje Saracens contract.

England Autumn Internationals 2026: Style And Squad Strength

The July win in Argentina showed what works. Joe Heyes anchored a solid scrum, and Chessum, Ellis Genge, Ben Earl and Manny Feyi-Waboso carried with impact. Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman, who is in his best position on the wing, clearly understand each other.

The flip side is lost collisions and rucks that stretch the defence, then the penalties and cards that follow. Australia, Japan and New Zealand will test that again at Twickenham.

On strength, Borthwick has reasons to smile. Fin Baxter, Harlequins’ loosehead, returns this weekend from a 10-month lay-off. Martin, Bath tighthead Will Stuart, Exeter Chiefs wing Feyi-Waboso, Quins full-back George Furbank and Sale’s Ben Curry are all available after missing last season’s Six Nations. Jack and Tom Willis remain off limits in the Top 14.

The coaching staff is the other open question. Shaun Edwards, 60, was released by France last season and has joined Argentina through to the World Cup rather than England. “I had a conversation with the boss of the [England] team six weeks ago,” Edwards told Rugby World magazine, “and was told they’re happy with the staff they have and the way things are going.” England’s defence stays with Richard Wigglesworth and Joe El Abd. Follow the rest of the build-up in our international rugby news and the Premiership Rugby form guide.

Jack’s Verdict

I would pick Marchant and leave Lawes out. Marchant spent three years off limits and now looks sharp, while Lawes is 37 and lasted 55 minutes against Glasgow without the legs to match his skills. Turnovers and line-out work count for something, and Fisilau and Elliott have not done enough to make me dismiss Lawes entirely. But with a World Cup less than a year away, I want selection pointing forwards. The best outcome is Itoje as captain, a rotation game for Martin, Marchant in midfield and Hendy given his chance in camp.

Your questions answered

When does Steve Borthwick name the England squad?

Borthwick names his England squad on Sunday. It is a 36-man group for the November leg of the Nations Championship, made up of 25 players on enhanced contracts plus 11 additions, ahead of the Tests at Twickenham.

Who does England play in November?

England host Australia, Japan and New Zealand at Twickenham. The finals weekend follows at the end of the month, after England recovered from a chastening Six Nations to win two of three summer matches.

Will Maro Itoje captain England?

Itoje is set to regain the England captaincy after resting during the summer. The debate is whether he should start every game. A little rotation could give the injury-prone George Martin Test exposure, while Itoje also needs to cut out the penalties.

Could Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant return?

Both are back in England contention after moving home to Sale Sharks from France. Borthwick could restore them ahead of Greg Fisilau and Tobias Elliott. Lawes is 37 and played 55 minutes against Glasgow last Saturday, while Marchant impressed in the same game.

For more on the autumn, see our international rugby news hub.