England’s wing options are incredible – this is who Steve Borthwick should pick

The autumn selection race must feel like a sprint for budding England players. A block of just five Prem fixtures separates the start of the new season and the first November international against Australia.

There is no tune-up training camp, as there has been in previous years, either. In theory, everyone should be available for their clubs for the round of games the weekend before the Wallabies are at Twickenham.

Steve Borthwick has attempted to mitigate this rush by organising a couple of shorter gatherings. He must already have firm ideas about his November line-ups, yet will always be monitoring domestic form.

Wing is a position that reflects vital aspects of a team’s “game model” such as their kicking strategy. And, because there are so many candidates delivering eye-catching displays on the Prem stage, Borthwick has plenty of options.

Aerial importance and Freeman’s move

Borthwick has now overseen 36 Test matches since assuming the role of England head coach. Of the 26 players to have made debuts under him, six are specialist wings: Ollie Hassell-Collins, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tom Roebuck, Ollie Sleightholme, Cadan Murley and Will Muir.

While the tournament experience of Elliot Daly and Jonny May was leant upon for the 2023 World Cup as England concentrated on a kick-pressure approach, there has been an undeniable move to invigorate these positions and move with tactical trends.

Feyi-Waboso, for example, was introduced for the first tournament that Felix Jones joined the coaching staff. Exeter Chiefs were using an aggressive rush defence with principles very similar to the one England implemented, which made Feyi-Waboso more valuable and will have eased his transition.

Sleightholme, familiar with a different defensive system at Northampton Saints, endured a few tricky moments during the 2024 autumn series after Jones left the set-up and Joe El-Abd came in. Tellingly, England tempered their line-speed for the 2025 Six Nations.

Since the crackdown on obstruction 12 months ago, aerial prowess has seemed to become more important. England’s starting wings for both Tests in Argentina were Tom Roebuck and Will Muir. Both stand 6ft 2in tall and possess serious spring.

In the opening minutes of the 22-17 win in San Juan, Muir loped after this Ben Spencer box-kick and leapt into the air to compete with Santiago Carreras. The ball fell loose to Tom Willis:

A few moments later, after the Pumas had recovered to contain several neat phases of England attack, George Ford spins to the right flank to send a kick-pass to Roebuck.

With both arms above his head, the latter completes a clean catch above Ignacio Mendy – also 6ft 2in – before spinning and stepping in-field. Roebuck’s offload finds Luke Northmore and Seb Atkinson finishes a superb try:

Solidity in kicking exchanges will be essential for England’s wing contenders. Tommy Freeman, who has worn either 11 or 14 in 16 Tests under Borthwick, has become an outstanding exponent. He is used as a specialist chaser of restarts because of how regularly he can recover possession:

However, Freeman is now keen on a more regular move to outside centre. He has switched there for several cameos with England, notably when joining forces with Ollie Lawrence at the end of a dramatic victory over France eight months ago…

…and started the 68-14 thrashing of Wales there. Freeman can still chase restarts from outside centre, but a full-time switch to the midfield would have connotations for the rest of Borthwick’s back line.

It may be that it allows England to include another out-and-out speedster, because a back three needs to strike a blend. Max Malins, an intuitive playmaker capable of roaming in-field to link attacks, was regarded as a wing who could balance out the attributes – and limitations – of Freddie Steward.

Having reverted to his favoured position of full-back, Malins has looked sharp for Saracens over the past fortnight. Steward performed well in Argentina, while Daly, George Furbank and Joe Carpenter will also be under consideration for the 15 jersey. As recently as the Six Nations, remember, Marcus Smith was starting Tests at full-back and represented the British and Irish Lions in that role.

Borthwick cannot view the wings in isolation. Should he feel as though Fraser Dingwall or Atkinson are essential alongside Lawrence, for instance, Freeman may need to remain out wide. But wide men are queuing up.

Athletes and A teams

Freeman, Muir, Murley and Roebuck all attended England’s training camp in September, with Feyi-Waboso in the “rehabilitation” category and Sleightholme named in a section with injured players. Oscar Beard, another debutant of the Borthwick era who is capable of covering wing, was also there along with Furbank and Steward. Daly joined other Lions such as Tom Curry and Maro Itoje in the rehabilitation section.

Daly and Roebuck were added to the group to hold enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contracts that already included Feyi-Waboso, Freeman and Furbank. All that provides a good sense of the back-three pecking order. That said, despite a reputation for conservatism, Borthwick has shown a willingness to fast-track exceptional athletes – both in the back line and in the shape of forwards such as Chandler Cunningham-South. Lee Blackett’s appointment as attack coach will add a new perspective to selection meetings.

Feyi-Waboso, who was known to Blackett at Wasps, was a proactive pick from Borthwick, who is repaying the faith shown in him. He has five tries from two appearances for Exeter Chiefs so far this season. This run against Northampton Saints, with which he weaves through five defenders after taking an offload in the back-field, is emblematic of how he can conjure something from very little:

Henry Arundell was invited to a training camp in June, after trading Racing 92 for Bath, and brings express pace. Adam Radwan, though a touch older at 27, is another potential game-breaker. These players will need to demonstrate that the fundamentals of their game – positioning, defence, aerial skills and kicking – will not make England vulnerable. The signs are promising.

Amid torrential rain and strong winds on Friday evening, Arundell was tidy in the kicking exchanges. Having skated through to score an electric first-half try, he rose to take this high ball from Ford…

…and reclaimed his own up-and-under later in the second half:

It is now four years since the last of Radwan’s two caps, which have yielded four tries. His pace, wiry power and predatory instincts have benefitted Leicester Tigers and he proved a catalyst for Saturday’s 29-19 win over Harlequins on both sides of the ball.

Here, before Nick David snakes through the defensive line, Radwan is hanging in the back-field on the far side. Steward tears across to tackle David, who should have fed Tyrone Green, and with Beard on the floor, having been stumbled over the Tigers full-back, Radwan burrows in to force a penalty:

A minute later, Radwan chases a Jack van Poortvliet box-kick that holds up in the wind. He leaps above Cassius Cleaves, outstrips Kieran Treadwell and steps inside Green before offloading to Joaquín Moro:

In the second period, with Harlequins down to 14 men, the visitors clear through Will Porter. Steward fields and feeds Billy Searle and Radwan calls for another pass:

With space in front of him, Radwan fixes Green before chipping ahead. Although Jarrod Evans comes across, the supporting Sam Riley is penalised for losing his balance at the breakdown and the Tigers have a penalty:

Radwan’s celebrations show his satisfaction with a contribution that, although unfussy, brings about a critical try for his team:

Borthwick now has England A fixtures to use as a stepping-stone for wildcards. These games do not have long build-ups, mirroring the demands of the Test arena.

Murley and Muir started against Portugal in February 2024. Gabriel Ibitoye shone against Australia A last November, offloading with the freedom that he is afforded by Bristol Bears. Tobias Elliott, the Saracens youngster, and Hassell-Collins started the win over Ireland A in February, with George Hendy coming off the bench.

As well as the senior team taking on Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina at Twickenham, England A face an All Blacks XV in Bath on November 8. Paul Brown-Bampoe of Exeter Chiefs, an explosive and evasive runner, must be a possibility for that game.

This is where Borthwick will be thinking ahead to the 2027 World Cup. If he feels that youngsters such as Jack Bracken, the 19-year-old emerging at Saracens, stand a chance of being at that tournament, then exposure now – even to a training camp or two – will be worthwhile.

The wings I would pick

Wings tend to have a preferred side of the pitch, whether that is because it suits their stronger kicking foot or because they feel more natural when arcing in-field from that flank to pass in the opposite direction. Borthwick will need to weigh up all those aspects.

Last year, he assembled a group of 36 for the autumn internationals. Sixteen of those were backs, with Daly, Feyi-Waboso, Freeman, Furbank, Roebuck, Sleightholme and Steward – as well as the versatile Beard and Smith – covering the back three.

This year, Freeman’s eagerness to cover centre allows for an extra out-and-out wing. Among those, I would keep Feyi-Waboso and Roebuck and swap in Murley instead of Sleightholme if Borthwick keeps to the same template. Muir gets my fourth spot, sneaking in front of Radwan and Arundell.

The latter two are unlucky, and might force the issue or benefit from an untimely injury to someone else over the coming weeks. I would want to see them both for England A at least.