"Time For First Cap" - Five England Bolters for World Cup warm-ups

Steve Borthwick's men have their opening match against Argentina, as they head to Marseille for their Pool D clash on the 9th of September.

England have four warm-up matches ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with two home and two away ventures booking up their calendar for the Summer.

England head to Cardiff, for a clash with Wales on August 5th, before Warren Gatland's side make the return trip to Twickenham the following weekend.

Steve Borthwick will then lead his side to Dublin's Aviva Stadium, to take on Ireland. This will be a stern test for England, as they take on Andy Farrell's side for the first time, since Ireland secured the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam over the visitors.

The final stop before the World Cup is a Twickenham visit from Pacific Islanders Fiji. This will be a physical challenge for England, with squad depth expected to play a key part against the 'Flying Fijians'.

These four matches will give ambitious World Cup hopefuls the opportunity to put in a big performance, and book their tickets ahead of the trip to France.

The following five players are on the cusp of England breakthroughs, and will be putting their hands up for selection in the upcoming Summer Series.

Steve Borthwick will have to act fast, if he wants to secure the services of the the explosive Sale Sharks winger. Tom Roebuck is eligible to play for both England and Scotland, and it would be assumed that Gregor Townsend would be more than happy to have Roebuck bolster his side's ranks. Scotland are faced with a 'Group of Death' at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, as they have to battle against Ireland and South Africa in Pool B.

Scotland's shooting stars will be out in full force across the back-three, as the likes of Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham and the retirement-pending Stuart Hogg will take the fight to the rugby powerhouses. Roebuck could well reinforce these Scottish armaments, and has been putting himself in the perfect position for a call-up. Borthwick will have to win the tug-of-war, and tempt the 22-year-old into a career with England very soon.

Roebuck rose to the occasion when the world was watching, as he scored in the Premiership Final against Saracens. This took his try-scoring tally for the season to nine, which is an impressive step towards international recognition. Roebuck has beaten 44 defenders this season, and has made an additional 20 clean breaks. This showcases the Sharks' fleet-footedness and outright pace, that makes him a serious threat to be reconned with.

Roebuck's talents are scarily good for his young age. He will soon be coming into his prime, and gaining international caps early in his professional career will only work wanders for his confidence. An international test debut is a daunting occasion no matter the age, so if Borthwick awards Roebuck a run-out this Summer, he will be able to shake off the debut nerves ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

One of the Premiership's brightest young talents, Tom Pearson has been a re-occurring name amongst the England call-up conversation this season. After having his Breakthrough Player of the Season year with London Irish, Pearson hopes to follow in the footsteps of his teammates Henry Arundell and Ollie Hassell-Collins, and become the latest Exile to break into the England squad.

Following the recent reports of London Irish's uncertain future, Pearson will be hoping to utilise the Rugby World Cup as a 'shop-window' opportunity. If Irish are exiled from the Premiership, the back-rower will strive for strong performances, to secure his future in the top flight of English rugby. The speculation for the 23-year-old's England call-up has weight behind it, as London Irish Director of Rugby Declan Kidney confirmed that he and Steve Borthwick had discussed the promising flanker in the past.

The untimley injuries of England back-row hopefuls Ben Curry and Ruan Ackermann, does open up an opportunity for Pearson. Borthwick may award the Exile with his test debut, to assess his international ability in a World Cup Warm Up fixture. Pearson has previously been on the fringes with England during the Eddie Jones era, but never made it onto the pitch, when he was part of the wider training group for the 2022 Guinness Six Nations.

The Harlequins back-rower has been gaining increased traction for an England call-up, during the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership campaign.

Finishing off the regular season as the leading turnover maker with 30, Evans was leapfrogged to top spot after the play-offs, with Saracens' Ben Earl accruing his 31st in the Premiership Final triumph.

Evans' tenacious work effort off the ball can sometimes go unnoticed, and as Harlequins underperformed this season the flanker is at risk of slipping under the radar for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Evans is one of the hardest workers in the Premiership, and is a definite 'unsung hero' at the Twickenham Stoop.

The aforementioned injuries to England's back-row, sees options open up for additional call-ups for Steve Borthwick's squad.

Evans seems primed and ready to line up with his West London rival Tom Pearson, in becoming the latest Premiership stars to receive their England caps. Squad rotation is key for Borthwick, as he will want to find out the best formula for his World Cup campaign.

It is a long short for Evans to nail his name to a starting jersey, but impressive performances if given the opportunity this Summer, could well land the Harlequin amongst the extended squad list for the Rugby World Cup. As hard-hitting as they come, Evans is an ideal reinforcement to a World Cup withered side.

The exciting Harlequins winger was unfortunate to not have already made his England debut, after being initially named in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 Six Nations.

Murley was named as one of five uncapped England hopefuls, yet was unable to make his mark whilst wearing the rose.

The 23-year-old was returned home to the Stoop, with Gloucester winger Jonny May called into the squad ahead of Murley, after a short injury concern to Max Malins.

Murley wasted no time back at Quins, and finished the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season as the league's top try scorer. Murley's 15 tries saw off the competition, despite a late push by Newcastle Falcons flyer Matteo Carreras. He has been one of Harlequins' more consistent players, as Murley also topped the clean breaks charts with 30.

Murley plays with the confidence of a veteran far beyond his years. A firm fan favourite at the Stoop, the winger has already caught Borthwick’s attention, and could certainly be called in to reinforce the England squads back line.

A World Cup is a marathon, and with Murley’s impressive abilities at the sprint, he should be included in Borthwick’s plans in some capacity come September.

Expect the young Harlequins winger to make his debut during the upcoming Rugby World Cup Warm-Up matches, and shake off any international nerves. Getting this experience in a ‘friendly’ environment can benefit Murley, as he hopes to book his place on the squad list for France.

The Bristol Bears hooker is amongst the most overlooked players in the Premiership, and deserves a place amongst the squad, for the Rugby World Cup warm-up matches this Summer. Just this past weekend, Thacker recently got a taste for the bright lights of Twickenham Stadium, as the hooker ran out for Eddie Jones' Barbarians, in the thrilling 48-42 victory over the World XV.

Thacker lined up against his soon to be former Bristol Bears teammates, Semi Radradra and Charles Piutau in the exciting 14-try exhibition match at Twickenham. The Bristol Bears star certainly knows where the try-line is, as he scored 11 tries throughout the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season, the fourth highest of any player.

This sets Thacker apart as the highest scoring hooker in the league, and he could well be a solid choice to add squad depth in the number two jersey. Thacker also leads the scoring charts for any forward in the Gallagher Premiership this season, with Bath's Tom Dunn the second highest with 10 tries. It is a shock to see Thacker overlooked for an England call-up for so long, yet the 29-year-old has previously received international recognition at age group level.

In 2014, Thacker made five appearances and scored four tries for the England U20s side, yet was unable to press on for a full England call-up. A powerful line runner with deceptive pace, Thacker combines physical ability with impressive passing, and the wherewithal to make the correct decision in attack. Included in the Guardian’s Team of the Year for the 2018/19 Premiership season, Thacker is fully deserving of an England cap, and the upcoming Summer could see him make his long awaited run out in an England shirt.