Looking ahead to the Six Nations, former Ireland and Munster forward Alan Quinlan spoke to BOYLE Sports about England's recent rise in stature and has argued they could be shock contenders for a Grand Slam success in 2026,
Quinlan has praised the English setup for bringing through so many talented young players with particular praise for Henry Pollock but has argued that England need to become more expansive in their style of play and where their World Cup chances lie.
England Rugby
"England Can Win A Grand Slam"
I think England can win a Grand Slam. When I went through all the fixtures, I do this every year with the Six Nations. I mapped out who is going to win which games. Obviously, the way the Six Nations is set with France vs England being the last game on the last day, I think it's set up to be a Grand Slam decider.
I just think England are the form team. France and England are the two favourites for the Six Nations, and rightly so. Just at a higher level. For France, having Dupont back makes a huge difference. But for England, particularly what they did in November against New Zealand... After starting the game slowly, they were utterly dominant physically. The set piece was really powerful. They seem to have a really good balance.
Are they playing the most attractive rugby? Probably not, but they have power, a real abrasiveness, and a lot of athletic, powerful players who are playing at a very high level. Then you have Northampton, Bath, and Saracens. A lot of the English players come from those three clubs and are playing at a consistent, dominant level.
It bodes well for England. They start at home to Wales. I see them getting to round five with four wins. You never know, the Six Nations has a life of its own, but for England, the comfort of having a home game at the start helps. Then they go to Murrayfield, where they haven't had a good record in recent years, but it's very obvious that they're at a higher level than they have been for the last number of years.
England's Squad
Where Has England Improved?
It's the players who have been the catalyst for England's success. They've found some really good young players who were dominant for England in previous years in the Under-20s. Guy Pepper, Fin Baxter, Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman, Max Ojomoh. They just have a lot of youthful exuberance and really good young players that have filtered into the team in the last couple of years.
It's not that long ago that we were saying England were dreadful, poor, and bland to watch. They've become a lot more efficient in what they're doing. I know the structure and the game plan can be pragmatic, they still kick a lotbut they have some individuals in top form bringing a little bit of X-Factor. They seem to manage games well, and when momentum swings, they can punish teams.
Henry Pollock
I'd like to have played with him. He does some special things. His acceleration and skill level he plays like a back, really. He's just so fit, has a massive engine, and he’s a maverick. He's not your traditional "show no emotion" type in rugby.
The tricky part for young players is slipping in under the radar, having brilliant performances, and then finding it difficult once teams know them. I think he's continued past that stage of surprising people. Everybody knows his quality now. Does he still need to be a little bit careful? Possibly. That will come as he gets older. But look at some of the celebrations, they're phenomenal tries. He doesn't score boring tries; he comes up with incredible plays.
England’s Room For Improvement
To get four wins in November for Steve Borthwick was a massive positive. I don't think he's the type of character who wants to score six or seven tries and flash the ball from all over the place. He has that old-school mentality: pragmatic approach, kicking, and being efficient in finding territory.
Where can they improve? Probably be a bit more expansive and ambitious. Argentina exposed them a little bit with attacking rugby in that last game. Australia had some moments as well. So I would say a bit more consistency in attack. If they become really hard to score tries against, they're going to be a really difficult side to beat. Defence wins matches, but obviously, you need to score.
England's World Cup Chances
World Cup Chances After a"Dominant Year"
With the profile of the player they have, it's been a dominant year. They've played 12 games and won 11. The one loss was the first game of the Six Nations last year. You don't do that by accident.
Probably the most impressive part for me was the series win in Argentina. England had a lot of young, inexperienced players in that group, so to win those two test matches in Argentina was very impressive. They probably gained the most out of a summer test series compared to other teams. England is in a very strong position because of the profile, the age of the players, and the depth coming through.
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