Wearing the crest of the Rose is among the highest honours that can be bestowed upon an English rugby player.
Every time international rugby comes around, England fans can't help but have the same debate around the squad selection.
There are two sides to this debate. On one side are the fans of various clubs, complaining that a player from their team has not been picked, claiming that the England side should be picked on form.
On the other side fans complain that they are token call-ups and it's a waste of time picking players who probably won't have a long-term future in the England set-up.
But sometimes there is a validity in these arguments; there are a lot of talented players with fewer England caps than their talent probably merits.
On that note, here is, in my humblest of opinions, the best uncapped England XV.
FB: Jason Woodward (Gloucester) - This versatile back three player qualifies for New Zealand, Australia and England, but if a cap is to come, it is likely from the latter, as he currently plays for the Cherry and Whites.
LW: Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins) - He was called into the senior England training squad during the 2019 Six Nations and he was one of four nominees for player of the tournament at the Under-20 World Championship. The powerful, quick wing is stocky with a low centre of gravity, a devastating turn of pace and electric feet. This is also looking like it could be his breakthrough campaign for him at Harlequins.
OC: Nick Tompkins (Saracens) - His dynamic skillset and enthusiastic nature saw him excel for the Men in Black in 2018/19, featuring heavily in the club’s run to their third European success and fifth Premiership title. The former England Under-20 international, who won the 2014 Junior World Championship, signed a new contract in November 2018 until the summer of 2022.
IC: Mark Atkinson (Gloucester) - The centre’s ability to distribute, with the skillset to step in at fly-half, and offload to an audacious degree at times, combined with his six foot six inches frame just shy of a whopping eighteen stone, makes him a serious prospect at international level.
RW: Ollie Thorley (Gloucester) -He made his debut for the Cherry & Whites in 2013 as a 17-year-old, partnering World Cup winner Mike Tindall in the centre of an LV= Cup match, and has since gone on to prove himself as one of the brightest talents at Kingsholm. A World Rugby U20 Championship winner in 2016, Thorley has pace, power and an eye for the try line.
FH: Joe Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs) - Despite his tender years, his cool decision-making and nerveless goal-kicking saw him thrust firmly into the Chiefs spotlight during the course of the season, featuring prominently last season in the Premiership and Champions Cup.
SH: Henry Taylor (Northampton Saints) - A lively No.9 who boasts superb ball distribution and a keen eye for a gap, Taylor boasts international credentials after representing England under-20s back in 2014, making his debut during the Six Nations before being crowned a Junior World Champion later that year
LP: Richard Barrington (Saracen) - Originally signing to play for Sarries to play in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. he's become a cult figure since joining from Jersey in 2013. He has developed into a fine scrummager and dependable asset.
HK: Harry Thacker (Bristol Bears) - The former England U20 international, who joined Bristol from Leicester Tigers, was nominated for the Land Rover Discovery of the Season award during the 2015/16 campaign. In an impressive debut season that included a hat-trick versus Wasps and a scintillating brace versus Tigers, Thacker was listed in the Guardian team of the year and was unlucky not to be considered for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
TP: Nick Schonert (Worcester Warriors) - The destructive Worcester scrummager has been on the cusp of Test honours for the last two years, having been called up for the 2017 tour of Argentina, only to be denied by injury, before being called up for England's pre-World Cup training camp.
LK: Joel Kpoku (Saracens) -The 6ft 4in teenager was a rugby league player in his youth but switched to the 15-man code at under-17 level and has made swift strides, signing for the Saracens academy, joining an impressive production line that has developed George Kruis, Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe into senior England players, and making his senior debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
LK: Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs): The towering second-row has been thriving of late with Exeter Chiefs, proving himself to be an efficient lineout operator and warrior at the breakdown.
BF: Ben Curry (Sale Sharks) - Twin brother of Tom, he was called up to the senior England squad by Eddie Jones for their 2017 summer tour of Argentina, but did not make an appearance on the tour. The former England U20 captain never lets Sale down and certainly wouldn't let his country down if given the call.
OF: Ben Earl (Saracens) - After making his Saracens debut in 2016, the Academy graduate has since scored on his first start, has starred in Europe including two tries against Cardiff Blues in 2018/19. He's also captained England at Under-20s and was a part of the side that won the Grand Slam in the 2017 Six Nations. The back rower has since been named in EPS training camps by national head coach Eddie Jones.
N8: Jono Ross (Sale Sharks) - South African born Ross is England qualified through his grandmother, joined Sale from Stade Francais in 2017 and was included in England’s training squad last May leading into the Barbarians fixture. Despite continuing to impress for Sale, Ross remains on the fringes.
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