"Glaring mistakes" – Four England Players Seriously Out of Form

Yesterday at 03:25 AM

The Telegraph has issued its player-by-player England form guide ahead of the 2025 Six Nations, and let's just say not everyone's firing on all cylinders.

Steve Borthwick's side, led by new skipper Maro Itoje, face a critical campaign as they look to banish memories of inconsistent performances despite a commendable third-place finish at the 2024 World Cup.

Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

England's tactical evolution, ditching the blitz defence for a more controlled system, could pay dividends – but only if the players are in top form.

Itoje himself scored a solid 7/10 and will be crucial in leading a revival. However, with several stars underperforming, questions are already swirling about Borthwick's selections.

Here's a look at four players The Telegraph has called out, and what RUCK.co.uk makes of it.

Ben Earl (Saracens)

Telegraph Rating: 6/10

They wrote: “Saracens' curious loss to Castres, continuing a year of inconsistency, was pockmarked by a couple of glaring mistakes from Earl. He was lively at Thomond Park, stepping through bodies to eke out momentum in midfield, and works unrelentingly. However, he heads into England camp amid a tricky patch.”

RUCK view: Earl was one of England's standout players over the past year, but his recent dip in form could cost him. Once untouchable in Borthwick's plans, he now looks dangerously close to losing his starting spot. He'll need a big showing in the lead-up to the tournament to stave off competition.

Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)

Telegraph Rating: 4/10

They wrote: “Returning from the knee injury he sustained during England's preparations for the autumn, Chessum had 54 minutes against Toulouse. This was his first outing since October and, like most of his Leicester colleagues, he spent most of the time chasing shadows.”

RUCK view: Throwing Chessum back into the England squad fresh off a serious injury is a risk that could backfire. He'll need time to regain match sharpness, and anything less than 100% could leave England vulnerable in the engine room. Leicester's struggles won't be helping his confidence either.

Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)

Telegraph Rating: 6/10

They said: “Six games at fly-half for Exeter, two of which came against Toulouse and Bordeaux-Bègles and saw his side ship an absurd total of 133 points, constitute Slade's body of work since an autumn in which he started all four Tests.”

RUCK view: Slade as a fly-half experiment? It's not working. Exeter's defensive woes and his patchy performances in the playmaker role make that 6/10 look overly generous. He's a class act at his best, but right now, he looks far from it.

Fin Baxter (Harlequins)

Telegraph Rating: 5/10

They said: “Teething pains at the scrum are inevitable for promising young props and a difficult autumn for England has bled into club action for Baxter, who turns 23 next month.”

RUCK view: Following in Joe Marler's footsteps is no easy task, and Baxter's growing pains at the set-piece are showing. He's undoubtedly a talent for the future, but for now, the step up to Test rugby seems to have knocked his confidence. England fans will hope he develops quickly, or risk seeing the scrum as an area of weakness.

RUCK verdict

England's Six Nations campaign looks to be starting on shaky ground, with too many key players either battling poor form or returning from injury. For Borthwick and Itoje, it's all about finding the balance – and fast. The tournament opener isn't the time for trial and error.

Editors Picks:

• Dan Carter names Six Nations stadium as rugby's best
• Andy Farrell adds two experienced coaches to his Lions staff
• Owen Farrell confirms he's in contention for international rugby return in 2025
• Rory Best Reveals Why He Never Sang the Irish National Anthem
• Six Nations format change revealed, some people are not happy

CAN YOU NAME THE 20 MOST CAPPED MENS ENGLAND PLAYERS?

Several of these individuals have participated, or are presently participating, in the contemporary era of rugby.

Can you identify how many of the top 20 most-capped England rugby players you can name?

We’ve supplied the total number of caps and their respective playing positions for each player. Your task is simply to complete their surnames.

You have a 5-minute window to attempt to guess all 20 players.

The post “Glaring mistakes” – Four England Players Seriously Out of Form appeared first on Ruck.