Four biggest England omissions as Dan Cole left out of Six Nations squad

Yesterday at 01:32 PM

England's Six Nations squad is making waves, with Maro Itoje replacing Saracens teammate Jamie George as captain.

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But while the 30-year-old lock steps up to lead, head coach Steve Borthwick has made some bold selection calls, leaving out a few big names.

Saracens' Skipper-In-Waiting
Itoje's leadership journey began when he guided England to an Under-20 world title in 2014. However, it wasn't until this season—following Owen Farrell's move to France—that he took over as Saracens skipper.

George and Genge in Support
Backing Itoje in the leadership group are vice-captains Jamie George and Bristol prop Ellis Genge, both key figures in Borthwick's 36-man squad.

Shock Omissions
As Itoje rises, notable stars are left on the sidelines. Let's break down the four biggest omissions and what it means for England's Six Nations campaign.

1. HENRY POLLOCK (Northampton Saints)

All signs were pointing towards a senior England call-up for Henry Pollock, yet the back row ranks proved too strong for the 20-year-old to make the grade. The back row learned the news of his England squad omission on his 20th birthday, with Borthwick finding no place in his 36-man squad for the highly rated youngster. Pollock has been a highly touted prospect since captaining the England U20s squad to glory in the 2024 U20 World Championships and Six Nations, yet the Northampton man will have to further bide his time before he wears the rose at a senior level.

Pollock has not been without his England honors, as he progressed from the U20s fold into a starring role in Mark Mapletoft’s England A team last November. Pollock picked up yet another Player of the Match award as he shone in the England A win over Australia A at the Twickenham Stoop, in what was the back-row’s maiden run out at the home of the Harlequins. With a mass of experience under his belt at such a young age, the future looks bright for Pollock. Perhaps an inclusion in England’s Summer tour of Argentina and USA could provide the opportunity for an England debut.

2. DAN COLE (Leicester Tigers)

It’s a tough break for veteran tight-head Dan Cole, as the 118-capped prop missed out on a place in England’s 36-man training squad. With the afformentioned trio of Bevan Rodd, Joe Heyes and Will Stuart selected ahead of the Leicester Tigers man, question marks will be raised regarding Cole’s future in the England squad.

At 37-years-old, Cole is undoubtedly looking towards the twilight of his career, and publicly expressed how he was surprised to see his long time friend Joe Marler retire from rugby before he decided to hang up the boots.

Cole is reportedly on Steve Borthwick’s speed-dial, should the England head coach need to call in a prop to bolster the ranks, with versatile loose-head and tight-head option Asher Opoku-Fordjour retaining his place in Borthwick’s plans after his Autumn Series debut against Japan.

The torch could well have been passed from Cole to the next generation, with only time set to tell what the future has in store for England’s second-most capped men’s player. England fans would love to give Cole the deserved send off, similar to what Marler recieved from the Harlequins faithful towards the end of last year, yet no plans are in place just yet for the much loved ‘Cola Bear’ to call time on his career.

3. BEN SPENCER (Bath Rugby)

With Northampton Saints scrum half Alex Mitchell back in action for green, black and gold, something had to give regarding England’s halfback ranks. The first choice option for England’s nine jersey since his emergence at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Mitchell has slotted seamlessly back into Borthwick’s plans, and is expected to lead the attacking line once again for the 2025 Six Nations. This has pushed out Ben Spencer, with the supporting cast of Jack van Poortvleit and Harry Randall preferred to the Bath man.

It’s a tough break for Spencer, who has been in tremendous form in blue, black and white. Over the past season, Spencer has emerged as a real leader of men, with Johann van Graan appointing the halfback as Bath captain.

However, such positive signs did not lead towards a reoccurring place in the England squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup runner-up, with the Bristol and Leicester options getting the nod ahead of him. However, with such a narrow pecking order, an injury or suspension for a scrum half could see the door swing back open for Spencer before the end of the Six Nations.

4. Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)

Keep an eye out for Max Ojomoh to reinforce the ranks, should England sustain an injury in their midfield throughout the coming campaign.

Ojomoh has been a feature of England’s training squads as far back as 2021, when Eddie Jones called up the centre for a Six Nations training camp, yet did not progress the Bath man any further. Borthwick had also called upon the powerhouse to bolster the training groups, yet Ojomoh has not yet made his way into a match day 23 for the senior England squad.

One element that plays to Ojomoh’s favour for a late call-up into the Six Nations squad, would be his telepathic connection with Ollie Lawrence in the Bath midfield. Should Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall or perhaps versatile option Tommy Freeman, get ruled out of the tournament, then Ojomoh is surely the next man in line to rock up at Pennyhill Park.

The 24-year-old has been in outstanding form in blue, black and white this season, having bounced back from an assortment of injuries that have hindered his momentum in recent years.

QUIZ: Six Nations Men's Player of the Championship Winners (2004-2023)

The Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship award, has been bestowed to the best player of the tournament since 2004. In the 20 instalments that this trophy has been given out, two people hold the record for the most separate wins, with three a-piece.

The winner of the award may not necessarily have won the Championship, Grand Slam or Triple Crown for that matter. Individual brilliance is what is recognised, and we challenge you to name every single winner from the past 20 Six Nations Championships.

Five minutes is on the clock… good luck!

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