ENGLAND HAVE SPRUNG a surprise by uniting the Curry twins in their back row for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin.
For the first time, Tom and Ben Curry will feature together in the starting XV, filling the flanker positions either side of number eight Ben Earl. Tom Curry is given the number six jersey.
In another selection twist, Cadan Murley will make his debut on the left wing after being given the nod ahead of Ollie Sleightholme, who filled the position in England’s most recent outing against Japan in November.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has opted for a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench with Ollie Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South and Tom Willis set to provide heavyweight reinforcements in the second half.
The Curry brothers’ only previous appearance in an England matchday 23 came against New Zealand in November but with Ben replacing Tom in the second-half, they were not present on the field at the same time.
Borthwick has thrown selection curve balls throughout his 26 months in charge and the inclusion of the Sale forwards from the start is the latest example.
Both are primarily opensides, as is Earl, and while all three are able to fill multiple roles in the back row, Borthwick is effectively fielding a trio of sevens in the hope of challenging Ireland’s strength at the breakdown.
They will also offer England extra speed and dynamism around the field against the Six Nations favourites, albeit at the cost of ball-carrying heft and a standout line-out jumper at blindside flanker.
However, in Chessum, Cunningham-South and Willis they have powerful options to summon off the bench.
Willis is poised to win his second cap and first since 2023 after starring for Saracens this season, showing power in the carry and in defence, while Chessum will be making only his second appearance since suffering a knee injury in October.
England (v Ireland)
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
13. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
12. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
7. Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens)
Replacements:
16. Theo Dan (Saracens)
17. Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
18. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
21. Tom Willis (Saracens)
22. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
23. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
All the pony he’s been talking about mcgregor and he can’t even make weight
Max Halloway now well deserves a shot at Aldo and if he wins we might see Halloway fight the real champion next year.
He should have had the shot at Aldo to begin with. What a farce.
So the belt is at stake for one of them…ffs what a joke shop, after all that fuss with McGregor and the FW belt. And your man can’t even make weight….Conor must be laughing his ass off, both belts on shoulders
LOL, serves them right for using this fight as an excuse to take the belt off CM. They easily couldve said “it’ll be >20m by the time he gets to defend his belt so we’re taking it”, but instead they decided to create more interim nonsense fights and have ended up with egg on their faces… Hope Pettis wins now, just to complicate it even more
McGregor wouldn’t make that mistake
I’m not 100% but judging from embedded . He arrived in late Wednesday flight delayed 3 hrs stuff Holloway been there ages. No excuse at that level should have had everything in order
You’re right, he was also eating steak and eggs a few days out from the fight. Can’t help but feel a chicken salad would have been a better alternative
Spot on Alan. I was watching it thinking, he is a natural LW eating steak from a restaurant days before a FW weigh in hahaha… Unprofessional it is!
At the end of the day though nothing really changes. If Hollaway wins then obviously he’s the interim champion and gets a shot at Aldo next year. But if Pettis wins then fair enough he doesn’t get the interim title but who else are they going to get to fight Aldo
Welcome to Clown’s Vill and head clown Pettis!!