Martin Johnson, Warren Gatland and company will hope to go into the Autumn Internationals with a settled squad - the majority of which will form the core of their party to launch their challenge to be World Champions.
But changes are inevitably with injury and loss of form, and three players who will hope to capitalise and wrestle their way to the top are featured after the jump – Dave Attwood, Jason Tovey and Jon Clarke.
Dave Attwood, England, Lock
The Bristol born forward is a man mountain, standing at 6’7” and just over 18st. After his home town club were relegated he moved across the West Country to Gloucester which propelled his international credentials.
Two caps for the Saxons earlier in the year was topped by a place in the full England squad for their summer tour, and although he didn’t make the Test side, his impact in the mid-week side against a strong Australian Barbarians outfit did not go unnoticed.
Last year all the attention was focused on the dynamic Courtney Lawes as England’s future in the engine room. But with Steve Borthwick falling out of favour and injuries catching up with the ageing Simon Shaw, Johnson needs to find a combination to drive him forward where he excelled for so long – and if Attwood continues to improve, the 23-year old could demand selection ahead of Lawes, Tom Palmer or any of the other contenders.
Gatland was accused ahead of their summer tour of shunning the players from Rodney Parade, but Jason Tovey may be an outside bet to be Wales’ future creative spark.
With Stephen Jones the wrong side of 30, James Hook settling into the centre and the heir apparent Dan Bigger yet to stamp his authority on the international game, given the chance, Tovey could glide up the blindside to take the converted Welsh number 10 jersey.
He was voted Young Player of the Year at the Welsh Professional Players Awards in May, and has helped conduct the Newport-Gwent Dragons’ improvement against other Magners League sides with much greater budgets.
Yet to win an international cap, he is composed and skilful with ball in hand, has a reliable boot and should not be too far from the minds of the Welsh management.
Clarke has been a key part of Jim Mallinder’s revolution at Northampton, which has transformed the Midlands club after dropping out of the top flight in 2007, to be title contenders led by some of the most exciting, young England prospects.
Teammates who have already made the grade included club captain Dylan Hartley, Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Courtney Lawes but the likes of Clarke along with scrum-half Lee Dickson and Phil Dowson could be the next to step up.
England have never managed to replace the creativity and lethal finishing of Will Greenwood in the centres which was crucial in their 2003 success. His Kiwi competitors Riki Flutey and Shontayne Hape coupled with Mike Tindall seems to be the management’s favoured option at the moment, but if Saints improve on the Heineken Cup quarter-final and Premiership form, with Clarke again punching holes in opposition defences he may well form a large Northampton contingent travelling to New Zealand in just over 12-months time.
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