"Ready for Six Nations" – 5 Uncapped England hopefuls who impressed in the opening round of Champions Cup & Challenge Cup

12/09/2024 09:13 AM

The opening round of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup is in the books, with club rugby’s two cross-continental tournaments up and running after an exhilarating weekend of action. The return of the two competitions saw 21 fixtures light up the weekend, with the matches heavily hindered by the blustery gale-force winds of Storm Darragh across the UK and Ireland.

Regardless of the conditions, the following five players all managed to weather the storm for stand-out performances. We have reviewed the action from the first round of pool stage matches, and picked out five uncapped England hopefuls who impressed. With 2024 coming to a close in just a few short weeks, the focus will soon shift to England’s upcoming pre-2025 Six Nations camp in Girona. These five players all made strong claims to jet out to Spain next month, in the hopes of making their Test debuts throughout ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’.

1. Dan Frost (Exeter Chiefs)

The top performer for Exeter Chiefs on what was a difficult day out in Durban, Dan Frost stepped up to the challenge laid down by the Hollywoodbets Sharks front row. Frost took on Bongi Mbonambi in the hooking head-to-head, and looked like he belonged on the same level as the World Champion Springbok. Ruck Reporter George Wellbelove gave his assessment of the hooker; “Exeter's best player on the day. Brilliant carries and took his tries very well.”

The 27-year-old crossed over for two tries against the Sharks, with the front rower setting the tone of the afternoon with his 16th minute opening score. Frost channeled the Exeter Chiefs of old in his try-scoring attitude, as he muscled his way over the try-line after repeated phases of short drives to the whitewash. The hooker followed this up for his brace, as he dotted the ball down off the back of a powerful West Country rolling maul from 5m out. Amidst the fast flowing attacking flair in the South African sunshine, it was the tride and tested methods of Devon’s finest where Frost had the biggest impact.

ENGLAND CHANCES: With Jamie George the resident England captain, Steve Borthwick has shown his hand in who his first choice hooker will be for the foreseeable future. Supporting George throughout the recent Autumn Nations Series was Luke Cowan-Dickie, with the former Exeter man having a second-coming in the England jersey in the latter stages of 2024.

Then there are the likes of Theo Dan and Curtis Langon for Dan Frost to contend with, in a stacked pecking order to be England’s replacement hooker. Whilst we were impressed by Frost’s outings down in the land of the Springboks, Borthwick will likely give Frost the cold shoulder in terms of an England involvement for the Six Nations.

2. Miles Reid (Bath Rugby)

In a star-studded Bath side that sees the likes of Finn Russell, Ollie Lawrence and Joe Cokanasiga often take the spotlight, Miles Reid shone in the hard-fought defeat to La Rochelle. The battle under the Friday night lights took place in some abysmal conditions down at the Rec, which played to the style of Bath’s unrelenting workhorse on both sides of the ball. Reid showcased his strengths on the front foot with some strong carries, that dented the armour of the visiting French outfit.

The back row coupled this with an excellent effort on the defensive side of the ball, and was more often than not seen with his head amongst the boots of the hotly contested breakdown. Reid was utilised by Johann van Graan’s side as their resident ‘get out of jail card’, with the ball shipped to the back row to make some hard yards out of their own 22m, when Stade Rochelais piled on the pressure. Despite racking up over a century of caps in the famous blue, black and white, Reid is yet to don the red rose of the England squad, with a call-up on the cards for the 2025 Six Nations.

ENGLAND CHANCES: Should Reid continue upon his fine form, the 26-year-old could well be brought into the wider training squad ahead of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations. Reid possesses an impressive versatility across the back-row, as despite being primarily a flanker, he has slotted seamlessly into the eight shirt in the injury absence of Bath bruiser Alfie Barbeary.

It’s no secret that Steve Borthwick likes to unleash a versatile back row, with the likes of Ben Earl, Tom Curry and Chandler Cunningham-South all capeable of playing at eight-man or on the flanks. The back row ranks are amidst the most competitive positions for the England squad, with Reid’s highly rated Bath teammate Ted Hill unable to break into the match day squad despite being called in to reinforce England’s back row ranks this past Autumn. The competition is fierce, but a roll of the dice against Italy or Wales could see Reid get a long awaited England Test debut.

3. Caolan Englefield (Gloucester Rugby)

Gloucester scrum half Caolan Englefield is a hidden gem of the Premiership clubs, with the stacked scrum half ranks often overlooking the Cherry and Whites halfback. The former London Irishman is eligible for both England and Ireland, having gained international honors on the player pathways of both set-ups. Borthwick would have to act fast if he wants to secure the scrum half’s services, with Friday’s performance against Edinburgh presenting his full skill-set in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Ruck’s Gloucester Rugby reporter Ben Baker watched on at Kingsholm, as Englefield led the Cherry and Whites electric back-line. “Englefield put in a performance that showed he could fill the boots of the absent Tomos Williams, putting in some great box kicks in the first half and showed some great distribution from the ruck.” Englefield was pivotal in Gloucester’s run to the 2023/24 Challenge Cup Final, and the scrum half set the tone as George Skivington’s side plan to go one better than their runners-up result from last season.

ENGLAND CHANCES: Had this performance come earlier in the season for Englefield, and there may well have been some international weight behind the impressive effort. However, this past weekend also witnessed the long awaited return of Alex Mitchell to Northampton Saints’ nine shirt, with Steve Borthwick expected to re-call the halfback for the 2025 Six Nations next month.

Whilst the return of Mitchell does by no means rule out Englefield for a bolter’s inclusion in the upcoming Six Nations, it does push the scrum half back one rung on the pecking order. Mitchell is likely returning as the first choice nine, with Ben Spencer, Jack van Poortvleit and Harry Randall all jostling to be the number 21. Such depth among the replacements could squeeze Englefield out of the wider training squad, but an injury or suspension could well open the door back up for an England camp involvement.

4. Val Rapava-Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby)

We stick with the Cherry and Whites for our next entry, as the long overlooked Val Rapava-Ruskin had a storming performance in his side’s win against Edinburgh. Our resident Gloucester Rugby aficionado Ben Baker echoed this, as he gave Rapava-Ruskin the following grade in the match day player ratings: “An absolutely immense shift from the loose-head, strong at the scrum, strong at the breakdown and made some good tackles, he was a key part to The Cherry and Whites success today. 8/10”

Rapa-Ruskin was a strong threat around the pitch, and latched on to his teammates to drive them forward for the extra yard. The visiting Edinburgh side struggled to contain the might of ‘Big Val’, who’s work rate on the front foot repeatedly dented the Scottish club’s defensive structure. Rapa-Ruskin ran out for an exhaustive 72 minute effort, which showcased his talents as an iron man of the Premiership club’s forward pack.

ENGLAND CHANCES: There is a real shout for the 32-year-old to finally get his England debut, with the loose-head ranks noticeably thinned out following a significant retirement. Joe Marler’s decision to walk away from professional rugby sent shockwaves through the sport, and Rapava-Ruskin could well be called upon to strengthen the front row this coming Six Nations. With Asher-Opoku Fordjour providing the versatile option as both a loose and tight-head prop, Rapava-Ruskin’s specialism in the one shirt could give him a call-up at least to the wider training squad.

Rapava-Ruskin has patiently bided his time for a Test debut, despite previous involvements in the England camp. The Georgian born prop has foregone any involvement with the Eastern European nation in the hopes of an England cap, and Marler’s departure could finally provide Rapava-Ruskin with a foothold to gain consistent involvement in Borthwick’s training group.

5. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

If there was ever a time to strike when the iron is hot, it is to capitalise upon the meteoric rise of Henry Pollock. The Northampton Saints back row has enjoyed a blistering rise to the top of the England radar, with many pundits expecting Steve Borthwick to give the 19-year-old an inclusion for the 2025 Six Nations. Watching on as Saints dispatched of Castres in the opening round of the Champions Cup was Ruck reporter Tom Harrington, who said; “Passion from the youngster, over every breakdown, strong scrum, charge downs and a try to his name.”

Pollock has long been a fan favourite for an England cap, as he has accrued an impressive collection of Player of the Match medals in such a short career. Pollock picked up the award as he gained international honours with England A this past November, and took a starring role in the side’s win over Australia A at the Stoop. A break-out product of the England U20s, Pollock is amongst the top names backed to take the next step in the international careers, and mirror the efforts of Chandler Cunningham-South with a fast-tracked progression into the England senior team.

ENGLAND CHANCES: Pollock’s chances for an England inclusion are at a real high, despite being such a young talent on the grand scheme of his career. It is not impossible for an U20s break-out to take quick strides into the England senior team, with Chandler Cunningham-South and Asher Opoku-Fordjour presenting their potential on the Test match stage shortly after ‘graduating’ Mark Mapletoft’s team.

It is always exciting to see whether Borthwick will pull the trigger on a young bolter. If the recent Test debut of Opoku-Fordjour is anything to go by, the England head coach is not afraid to call upon the latest talent to make waves in the Premiership and Europe. In the same vain that Opoku-Fordjour was only used against Japan this past Autumn, Pollock could well get his Test debut, but it’s expected to be in the more winnable matches, such as with Italy at the Allianz, or against Wales in Cardiff.

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