Uncapped Sela called up for England Six Nations tilt

Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela, an uncapped 20-year-old prop, has been called up for the Six Nations to cover a number of tighthead injuries, and Exeter number eight Greg Fisilau will be rewarded for his excellent club form with a spot in a tight back row group.

In another area, Gloucester second row Arthur Clarke, who injured himself during last year’s Six Nations but won his first cap against the United States in the summer, is included in the second rows.

Uncapped Northampton prop Emmanuel Iyogun, who started both England A games in the fall, fills the role.

With Bath speedster Henry Arundell, Harlequins’ Cadan Murley, and the experienced Elliot Daly preferred, Saracens’ Noah Caluori and Northampton pair George Hendy and Ollie Sleightholme are left out of back-three slots.

George Furbank, a Northampton player, is also in. He has only played six games in his eight injury-dense months.

Adam Radwan’s chances of being included in Leicester were hampered by an untimely leg injury.

Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer are back-up at scrum-half thanks to his Tigers teammate Jack van Poortvliet.

Ollie Lawrence, wing Tom Roebuck, flanker Ben Curry, and fly-half Fin Smith are all expected to recover from their injuries in the run-up to their tournament opener against Wales on February 7th.

Fin Baxter, a loosehead prop, will miss that game with a foot injury, but he should make a return in time to help England advance their campaign.

On the opposite side of the scrum, Sela and Trevor Davison will battle it out for Joe Heyes’ coverage.

Steve Borthwick, England’s head coach, is picking from a strong position overall, with his team currently winning 11 games in a row.

With Seb Atkinson and Max Ojomoh putting pressure on more well-known names, midfield, once lacked depth. It now has a wealth of options.

“We’ve chosen a squad with a good balance of experience, leadership, and exciting potential,” said Borthwick.

“We want to come together quickly, prepare thoroughly, and make sure we’re ready for performance because the Guinness Six Nations’ margins are incredibly good.”

When the Championship begins, we will be in the strongest position possible if we prepare well and consistently demand the highest standards from one another.

England’s best performance since winning the 2020 Olympic Trophy came in second place last year.

Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath Rugby), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), Tommy Freeman (Sale Sharks), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojo

Sela was a member of England’s 2024 Under-20 World Cup winning team, which produced a number of promising prop prospects.

Afolabi Fasogbon, Sela’s main competitor to fill a senior vacancy, was also a part of the squad, along with Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who would have been included but for a shoulder injury.

Borthwick lost Bath’s Will Stuart to an Achilles tendon injury, whose rapid improvement last season led to the inclusion of the British and Irish Lions on an Australian tour.

With both Stuart and Opoku-Fordjour absent, Borthwick has chosen Davison and Sela’s abrasive ball-carrying and mobility as potential alternatives to Heyes.

It will be fascinating to see which he chooses for his matchday 23. The England coach made the most of his bench’s versatility in the fall to give the team’s business end a boost.

Fisilau, who was born in Plymouth and where his Tonga-born father Keni played rugby for the club, has helped Exeter improve thanks to his excellent form at the scrum.

The 22-year-old was a part of senior training camps back in 2024 and has long been touted as a future England international.

However, he and the rest of Exeter’s young squad went through a poor campaign last year that saw their Test chances diminish.

Fisilau is the beneficiary of Tom Willis’ absence despite his Chiefs renaissance this year.

The back row at Saracens has an important contract with England, but he has been expelled after agreeing to join Bordeaux-Begles next season, which will make him unfit for his nation.

Fisilau is a different player because of how light his body and how quick he moves the ball.

Yet he excels in Willis’ domestic hard-carrying stats, which he currently dominates.

Borthwick has a lot of respect for Leicester’s Emeka Ilione, a destructive runner who is more similar to Willis, but the Tigers’ man has had less game time than Fisilau.