"No Confidence" - 5 England Six Nations hopefuls who FLOPPED this weekend

This weekend offered a key opportunity to stake a claim for selection, but a number of contenders struggled to deliver when it mattered most.

Below, we examine five players with international ambitions whose Premiership performances will have done little to strengthen their case.

It has been a difficult period for Marcus Smith, caught in a Harlequins side badly lacking confidence. Against Northampton, he repeatedly tried to snipe close to the line, stepping into traffic only for attacks to stall through flat, static passing rather than releasing runners into space.

He was unable to unlock the Saints defence and looked a long way from the player who earned British & Irish Lions selection in the summer.

The contrast with Fin Smith only underlined that point. Fin challenged the line in multiple ways – carrying directly, using footwork, distributing crisply and kicking smartly – the full skill set required at international level.

With Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman among England’s leading centre options, an all-Saints midfield in the Six Nations is becoming an increasingly realistic prospect, such is the cohesion of Northampton’s attack.

Overshadowed by Adam Radwan against Saracens, Hassell-Collins endured a frustrating afternoon. He missed several tackles that will concern him on review and struggled against direct carriers and quick ball. Despite his work rate, he saw little possession and was largely anonymous.

With England already stacked on the wing, that lack of influence is damaging. When chances did arrive, albeit only on a couple of occasions, he either slipped or made poor decisions, including a wayward kick. Missed tackles and minimal impact meant his England prospects drifted even further away.

Van Poortvliet controlled the attack reasonably well against Saracens but was guilty of a few questionable moments. A poorly judged kick-through handed possession straight to Leicester, and an early second-half knock-on ruled out what would have been a Radwan try.

It was not a poor display, but it certainly did not strengthen his case for England selection. That was particularly evident with Alex Mitchell producing a standout performance for Northampton against Harlequins.

George was busy early at Welford Road and played his part in the Theo McFarland try after taking the initial tap-and-go. However, his involvement was cut short after he was withdrawn for a HIA, which he subsequently failed, forcing Saracens into an earlier-than-planned change.

With Luke Cowan-Dickie continuing to apply pressure and others performing well, George’s limited impact did little to boost his standing. Jamie Blamire’s strong showing for Tigers only added to the sense that competition at hooker is as fierce as ever.

Kenningham, who was involved in the England A setup last season, needed a strong campaign to push his case, but this was another difficult outing for a Harlequins side that conceded 66 points. While far from the sole issue, he was unable to slow Northampton’s relentless momentum.

He lacked authority both defensively and going forward, struggling to impose himself on the contest. In an increasingly competitive England back-row picture, Kenningham now looks further away from senior selection than he did a year ago, with several rivals having moved ahead of him.