England team to play Scotland confirmed as Borthwick forced into late change
Rugby NewsSaturday, 22 February 2025 at 09:23
Head coach Steve Borthwick has been forced into a late change to his England team to play Scotland for their Calcutta Cup clash at the Allianz Stadium.
Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
George Martin, who played a key role in England’s dramatic 26-25 win over France, has been ruled out with a knee issue. He was named on the bench despite missing training last week, but by Thursday morning, he was officially out.
Enter Super Ted: Bath Star Gets the Call
With Martin sidelined, in steps Bath’s Ted Hill—an athletic powerhouse with a point to prove. Normally a back-row bruiser, the former Worcester skipper now finds himself covering the second row, showcasing his versatility in an England pack stacked with talent. Despite having just two caps and barely 30 minutes of Test action, Hill has been immense for Bath and has certainly earned his shot.
Superman in Rugby Boots? Itoje Thinks So
Hill’s return to the England fold didn’t go unnoticed, with captain Maro Itoje showering him with praise:
“He is a supreme athlete. He looks like Clark Kent and Superman with his glasses. He is a man carved out of Greek stone!”
Not bad for a guy still waiting for his big Test breakthrough.
Six Years in the Shadows—Now Hill’s Time?
It’s been over six years since Hill made his England debut in a brief cameo against Japan. Since then, just one more cap has come his way—a late bench appearance against the USA in 2021. Now, after years of grinding away, his patience and persistence are finally paying off.
Is this the moment Super Ted goes from cult hero to England regular? Time to find out.
EDITORS PICKS:
, examines the composition of various national teams, shedding light on the number of foreign-born players and how they qualify for their respective squads.
UPDATED: Foreign-born players in the 2025 Six Nations
The following breakdown, based on data compiled by Americas Rugby News
This international blend underlines rugby’s global nature, with some nations leaning on overseas-born talent more than others. Ahead of round two, we've broken down the squads – and Scotland lead the way by a mile when it comes to foreign-born players.
ENGLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 39/41 (95.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 3/41 (7.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 3/41 (7.3%)
- Bevan Rodd (Scotland) - Parent
- Chandler Cunningham-South (England) - Born in England
- Harry Randall (England) - Born in England
- Marcus Smith (Philippines) - Parent
- Tom Roebuck (Scotland) - Parent
FRANCE
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 39/42 (92.8%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/42 (14.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/42 (14.2%)
- Dany Priso (Cameroon) - Residency (2008)
- Uini Atonio (New Zealand) - Residency (2014)
- Giorgi Beria (Georgia) - Residency (2002)
- Joshua Brennan (Ireland) - Residency (2005)
- Emmanuel Meafou (New Zealand) - Residency (2023)
- Émilien Gailleton (England) - Parent
IRELAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 30/36 (83.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/36 (25%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/36 (25%)
- Rob Herring (South Africa) - Grandparent
- Finlay Bealham (Australia) - Grandparent
- Cormac Izuchukwu (England) - Parent
- Joe McCarthy (USA) - Parent
- Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park (New Zealand) - Residency (2020)
- Bundee Aki (New Zealand) - Residency (2017)
- Ciarán Frawley (Australia) - Parent
- Mack Hansen (Australia) - Parent
- James Lowe (New Zealand) - Residency (2020)
ITALY
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 21/31 (67.7%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/31 (29.0%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/31 (29.0%)
- Dino Lamb-Cona (England) - Parent
- Sebastian Negri (Zimbabwe) - Parent
- Ross Vintcent (South Africa) - Grandparent
- Martin Page-Relo (France) - Grandparent
- Stephen Varney (Wales) - Parent
- Juan Ignacio Brex (Argentina) - Grandparent
- Montana Ioane (Australia) - Residency (2020)
- Ange Capuozzo (France) - Parent
- Matt Gallagher (England) - Parent
SCOTLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 25/42 (58,1.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 18/43 (44.1%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 18/43 (44.1%)
- Pierre Schoeman (South Africa) - Residency (2021)
- Ewan Ashman (Canada) - Parent
- Dylan Richardson (South Africa) - Parent
- Will Hurd (England) - Grandparent
- Cameron Henderson (Hong Kong) - Parent
- Ewan Johnson (England) - Parent
- Marshall Sykes (England) - Grandparent
- Josh Bayliss (England) - Grandparent
- Jack Dempsey (Australia) - Grandparent
- Alexander Masibaka (Australia) - Parent
- Ben White (England) - Grandparent
- Fergus Burke (New Zealand) - Grandparent
- Tom Jordan (New Zealand) - Residency (2024)
- Rory Hutchinson (England) - Grandparent
- Sione Tuipulotu (Australia) - Grandparent
- Arron Reed (England) - Parent
- Kyle Rowe (England) - Cumulative Residency
- Duhan van der Merwe (South Africa) - Residency (2020)
WALES
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 26/34 (76.4%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/34 (29.4%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/34 (29.4%)
- WillGriff John (England) - Parent
- Henry Thomas (England) - Parent
- Will Rowlands (England) - Parent
- Freddie Thomas (England) - Grandparent
- Christ Tshiunza (DR Congo) - Residency (2015)
- James Botham (Wales) - Born in Wales
- Taulupe Faletau (Tonga) - Residency (2001)
- Ellis Bevan (England) - Parent
- Nick Tompkins (England) - Grandparent
- Blair Murray (New Zealand) - Parent
- Ellis Mee (England) - Parent
Predictor Game:
If you are not sure, simply hit 'Shuffle' and you will be given an automated prediction.
Once you are happy with the selection, hit 'Submit Prediction' to enter.
You will receive points if either/both of your predictions occur during the live match.
POINTS
5 Points: Total Tries Correct
15 Points: Time of 1st Try Correct
15 Points: Time of 1st Try Correct
A winner will be selected from those with the most points at the end of the game week
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