"Blacklisted" - Steve Borthwick’s first five England debutants: where are they now?

England had endured a disappointing 2022 under Eddie Jones, and Borthwick wasted little time putting his own stamp on the squad. Some experienced names were moved aside, while a number of uncapped players were handed opportunities to impress on the international stage.

The first five players to make their England debuts under Borthwick were Ollie Hassell-Collins, Jack Walker, Tom Pearson, Theo Dan and Tom Willis. Two years on, all five are still carving out very different careers.

Here is a look at where they are now.

Ollie Hassell-Collins became the first player to debut under Borthwick when he started on the wing against Scotland in the opening round of the 2023 Six Nations.

At the time, Hassell-Collins was viewed as one of the Premiership’s most exciting finishers after an impressive spell with London Irish. However, the collapse of Irish forced him into a move to Leicester Tigers later that year.

His England career stalled almost as quickly as it began. Despite winning two caps, he has struggled to force his way back into Borthwick’s plans amid fierce competition on the wing from Tommy Freeman, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ollie Sleightholme.

Still only in his mid-20s, Hassell-Collins remains an important figure at Leicester Tigers, where his physicality and finishing ability continue to make him one of the Premiership’s most dangerous wide men. Reports in 2024 even suggested he could consider switching allegiance to Wales in the future through family qualification rules if his England opportunities dry up.

Hooker Jack Walker earned his England debut later in the same Six Nations campaign after years of persistence in the Premiership.

Walker had rebuilt his career at Harlequins following serious neck issues earlier in his career and was rewarded with a long-awaited international opportunity under Borthwick.

While he has not become a regular in the England set-up, Walker has continued to establish himself as a reliable Premiership front-row option. Injuries and the depth chart at hooker — featuring Jamie George, Theo Dan and Luke Cowan-Dickie — have limited his international opportunities.

At club level, however, Walker remains highly regarded for his mobility around the field and strong set-piece work.

Few players arrived in the England set-up with as much hype as Tom Pearson.

After starring for London Irish, Pearson’s explosive ball-carrying and relentless work-rate quickly attracted Borthwick’s attention. He was included in England’s wider Rugby World Cup training plans in 2023 alongside several other uncapped forwards.

Pearson’s international progress has been slowed somewhat by injuries and England’s stacked back-row options, but he is still considered one of the country’s most promising flankers.

Following London Irish’s demise, Pearson joined Northampton Saints, where he has continued to develop into a dynamic Premiership back-rower capable of playing across the loose forward positions.

Many still expect him to add significantly to his England caps over the next few years.

Of Borthwick’s early debutants, Theo Dan has arguably enjoyed the biggest rise.

The Saracens hooker was initially viewed as a bolter when he was called into England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup training squad. But his athleticism, aggression and carrying ability quickly made him impossible to ignore.

Dan debuted during the 2023 summer warm-up matches and soon established himself as a genuine long-term international option.

Since then, he has become a regular feature in England squads and one of the standout young hookers in English rugby. His performances for Saracens have also continued to improve, with many viewing him as the eventual successor to Jamie George as England’s first-choice number two.

Unlike some of Borthwick’s earlier experiments, Dan now looks firmly established as part of England’s future core.

Tom Willis made his England debut during the 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up fixtures after being called into Borthwick’s wider training squad.

Like several English players, Willis saw his career disrupted by the collapse of Wasps in 2022. He spent a short spell in France before returning to England with Saracens ahead of the 2023-24 season.

That move proved transformative.

Willis developed into one of the Premiership’s most destructive number eights and forced his way back into England contention with a series of dominant performances for Saracens. By 2025, he had established himself as England’s first-choice No 8 and signed an RFU enhanced elite player squad contract.

However, his England future was thrown into doubt when he agreed a move back to France with Bordeaux-Bègles.

Under RFU rules, overseas-based players are generally unavailable for England selection, and reports suggested Borthwick effectively ended Willis’ involvement immediately after the move was confirmed — despite him remaining eligible while still contracted to Saracens.

The decision sparked criticism from supporters and pundits alike, particularly given Willis had become one of England’s standout forwards and was already centrally contracted by the RFU.

Some reports also claimed Willis felt he was not viewed as central to Borthwick’s long-term plans despite his form.

Powerful in contact and increasingly influential at the base of the scrum, Willis remains one of England’s best-qualified No 8s — even if his international future now appears uncertain.