Ultimate XV: The Best England Players Currently Based Overseas

This has put an end to many a promising England career, following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The list of England talents based overseas is reported to grow ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Bristol Bears prop Kyle Sinckler and Northampton Saints back-row Lewis Ludlam reportedly in talks with French Top 14 side Toulon.

Saracens' versatile back Elliot Daly and Bath prop Will Stuart, are also amongst the England talents that have also reportedly caught the eye of France's transfer agents. No deals have been officially put on the table for these two as of yet, however the French Top 14 certainly remains a 'land of plenty' for England's top players. As well as France, the United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby have provided opportunities for top England hopefuls to hone their crafts.

Here is RUCK's Ultimate XV, of England Players that are currently based overseas.

We begin with an anomaly of the team at fullback, as speedster Henry Arundell remains eligible for England, despite now running out for the aptly named Racing 92. Arundell joined up with the Parisian side after the financial collapse of London Irish left him without a club. The winger remains eligible to play for England in the 2024 Six Nations, permitting that he does not extend his contract in France. The 21-year-old has had an immediate impact in the French capital, and marked his debut with a hat-trick of tries against Toulon last weekend.

On the right wing is our first of many former Exeter Chiefs players, that left Sandy Park at the end of the 2022/23 Premiership season. Due to financial struggles at the Devon club, Exeter Chiefs were forced to let their top players seek employment from elsewhere. Jack Nowell found a new home in France, but is yet to score his first try after six full matches for La Rochelle. Interestingly, Nowell has been utilised at outside centre for Stade Rochelais, despite playing on the wing in all 46 of his England caps. Nowell's last game for the Chiefs was a Champions Cup semi-final defeat to his new club, who are looking to win a trio of back-to-back European titles.

Coming in on the left wing is Marcus Watson, who has settled into Italian life following the collapse of Wasps. Watson was picked up by United Rugby Championship side Benetton, and re-united with his Wasps teammate Jacob Umaga at the Treviso club. Watson scored seven tries in his first full season at Benetton, as the Italian club reached the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup. Watson narrowly edges ahead of Arundell's Racing 92 teammate Christian Wade to start in our Ultimate Exiles XV, after a short-lived NFL career at the Buffalo Bills brought the flying winger back to rugby union.

Onto the midfield now, with our pick for the outside centre going to the latest England prospect to move 'down under'. Born in Wimbledon before moving to Melbourne at an early age, Potter is eligible to represent England and the Wallabies at international level. The versatile back came through the ranks at Melbourne Rebels, before he headed back to England for a three year stint at Leicester Tigers.

Despite being on many England fans radar for his 'magical' (couldn't resist) performances at Welford Road, Potter was not awarded an England debut, and could well be on his way to pulling on the gold jersey. Capable of running out on the wings, centres or fullback, Potter has bolstered the Western Forces' ranks down in Super Rugby and will make his debut for the Perth side next season. Linking up with Potter in our Ultimate XV is Joe Marchant, who ended his England career following an impressive Rugby World Cup campaign.

Marchant was amongst Borthwick's top performers at the World Cup, yet the versatile playmaker booked a one-way ticket for the trip to France. The 27-year-old left Harlequins after a decade at the Stoop, that included a season long sabbatical with the Auckland Blues. Marchant remains in Paris with his move to Stade Francais, after he formed a nice centre partnership with Manu Tuilagi throughout England's campaign. Marchant leaves a key vacancy in Borthwick's back-line, with Bath powerhouse Ollie Lawrence, or Exeter's form-finding Henry Slade looking like the leading candidates for the spot.

Onto the 10 jersey, and had Joe Simmonds opted to stay with Exeter Chiefs, Steve Borthwick's fly-half selection headache could have been a full-blown migraine. The classy playmaker was confirmed to leave Sandy Park mid-way through the latest Premiership season, and made a new home at Section Paloise in the French Top 14. The 26-year-old certainly took his shooting boots with him to Pau, as he has gotten off to a fine start from the tee.

Simmonds has already etched up 77 points in just six games, as Pau began their 2023/24 Top 14 campaign strongly. The Pyrenees Mountains side sit high in the rankings, with Simmonds efforts helping take his new club up to second in the table. We've opted for Simmonds ahead of Jacob Umaga at fly half, however the former Wasps halfback finds a space on our replacements bench. Partnering Simmonds in our Ultimate XV and at Pau, is 16-capped England scrum half Dan Robson.

Robson was picked up by Pau after the financial breakdown of Wasps last season, and the halfback quickly worked his way up the selection ladder at his new club. Either featuring from the off or as a replacement, Robson has achieved 24 caps for Pau, and is undergoing a tug of war with French talent Thibault Daubagna over the number nine jersey. Due to his previous international experience with England, we've given Robson the nod to start ahead of Andy Uren, who takes the 21 jersey.

Moving on to the forwards, and our 'England Exiles' front row comes from across three different leagues. Beginning on the loose-head, Kieran Brookes had a textbook trajectory to his England caps, having made his Premiership break-out at Newcastle Falcons. A two year run with Northampton further staked his claims as a England fringe player, yet his move to Wasps ended in the club's unfortunate collapse. Brookes' talents were promptly spotted by Toulon, where he battles against the top scrummagers from across the Top 14.

Jumping over to the tight-head, we've picked out Hayden Thompson-Stringer who continues his globe-trotting career with a move back down to Australia. Having previously played in the Premiership for Saracens, and French Top 14 with Brive, La Rochelle and Pau, Thompson-Stringer returns to New South Wales with a mid-season move to the Waratahs. The tight-head was at the 'Tahs for the latest Super Rugby season, and heads back at the end of his stint as a 'Joker' at Pau. One of the finest props to not receive an England cap, despite impressing at England U18s and U20s level.

Between the two props, this spot looked reserved for Luke Cowan-Dickie when the hooker agreed a move to Montpellier from Exeter Chiefs. However, the front-rower has since swapped Southern France for Sale, as the move to France broke down. We've instead opted for Munster hooker Chris Moore, who moved to the Emerald Isle after completing his studies at Exeter University. Born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Moore is eligible to play for England but could soon get an Ireland call-up if he catches the eye of Andy Farrell. An exciting young front row prospect, Borthwick needs to move fast to secure the 23-year-old for England.

Onto the second row, and we begin with English-born lock Joe Joyce who is currently plying his trade for Connacht. Joyce is Irish qualified and has worn the famous green jersey for the U20s, however he has not yet received a full international cap. His recent departure from Bristol Bears to the Irish province closed the door on any England call-up, with the 'King of Mead' considered a fan favourite during his time at Ashton Gate. With over 150 appearances for Bristol in a tenure that dated back to 2014, Stuart Lancaster, Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick all overlooked Joyce's talents for England duty.

As hard-hitting as they come, Joyce punched holes through the Premiership's defences like his boxing namesake does in the ring. He's settled into life back in Ireland, with four Connacht caps promptly under his belt after the first four rounds of URC action. Packing down the scrum alongside Joyce is David Ribbans, who is amongst the latest departures from Steve Borthwick's side. A relatively underused reinforcement at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Ribbans still boasts plentiful talent and will be missed by the Northampton Saints and England faithful.

Knocked down the pecking order by the likes of Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin, Ribbans looked to have achieved all which he could in an England jersey in his move to Toulon. The South African born Ribbans made 11 caps for England, and a staggering 121 appearences for Northampton Saints. He arrived at Franklin's Gardens in 2017 from Western Province, as he left the Cape Town club for Premiership opportunities. One of the hardest workers in green and black, Ribbans heads to Toulon and made his debut last weekend against Racing 92.

Our back-row features two former Exeter Chiefs players, who also left Sandy Park at the end of the 2022/23 Premiership season. It truly was the end of an era in Devon, as Dave Ewers and Sam Simmonds added further vacancies in the Chiefs pack. Starting with Ewers, the Zimbabwean-born back-rower had a brief call-up into the England squad, and has actually taken to the pitch in a non-recognised test match. Ewers played for England against the Barbarians in a 2014 exhibition, before being an unused training squad member for the 2016 Six Nations.

Ewers ends an incredible 13-year run at Exeter Chiefs, that saw him rack up a total of 236 appearances. Sam Simmonds made his Chiefs break-through a year after Ewers, and went on to make 131 Exeter Caps, before he too agreed a move to France. Simmonds joined Montpellier along with Exeter teammate Harry Williams, and holds an impressive Premiership record following his exit from the league. Simmonds scored a colossal 20 tries in the 2020/21 Premiership season, setting a record for players in the English top flight.

Frustratingly overlooked by England during his Premiership peak, Simmonds made three appearances in the 2017 Autumn Internationals, before going unused by Eddie Jones for four years. However, the number eight's talents were recognised by Warren Gatland, who handed Simmonds a British and Irish Lions cap on the 2021 Tour to South Africa. Wrapping up our starting side is Jack Willis, who's Rugby World Cup campaign came to an unfortunate end through a late neck injury.

The World Cup was always going to be the end of the England road for Willis, after the flanker extended his contract with Toulouse in the Summer. The door is now shut on the former Wasps man, with his brother Tom keeping himself in-line for a call-up, after moving from Bordeaux to Saracens. Jack Willis' England career was a rollercoaster, so full of promise yet curtailed by a nasty knee injury that kept him out of action for over a year. Willis is hitting his stride as a Top 14 Champion in Toulouse, and could well bring a sharpened skill-set back to the England side in years to come.

17. Harri O'Connor (Scarlets)

18. James Kenny (Ospreys)

19. Elliot Stooke (Montpellier)

20. Junior Kpoku (Racing 92)

21. Andy Uren (Benetton)

23. Christian Wade (Racing 92)