A look at the 6 new faces in the England squad

Eddie Jones’ recent announcement of his England squad for the imminent 2022 Six Nations brought with it some exciting new names which have tongues wagging in England and abroad. 

“Selecting this squad has been a difficult task, we’ve got plenty of good young players coming through and some of our more experienced are rediscovering their best form,” Jones said. 

 
  
“We think this 36 for the first training week reflects a good balance of that experience and up-and-coming talent. 

 
  
“In Brighton we’ll focus on getting the fundamentals of our game in play right and developing the cohesion of the team. 

 
  
“The Six Nations is going to be the most competitive we’ve ever seen.  All the countries performed well in the autumn, so we need to be at our best and improve with every game.”  

The uncapped players are as follows: 

Alfie Barbeary: 

Nobody can deny that it was only a matter of time before Alfie Barbeary would pull on the famous white jersey. A stand-out player for Wasps, Barbeary has drawn much attention to himself in the Premiership with his intense physicality.  

He has represented England at U18, U19 & U20 level. 

Originally a hooker, Barbeary has now shifted his concentration toward the backrow with great results. His progress in the England set-up will be followed with interest. 

Ollie Chessum: 

21 year-old Chessum has been in good form for Leicester Tigers of late and his hard work has been rewarded with a nod from Eddie Jones.  

Chessum is a big unit; standing 2.03m tall and tipping the scales at 118kg. His bulk and work-rate will be counted as valuable assets in the squad as the Six Nations edges nearer. 

Orlando Bailey: 

Flyhalf/fullback Orlando Bailey has been touted as an exciting prospect for some time now. At just 20 years of age, there is plenty of room for growth, but it is already a feather in his cap that he has managed to catch the attention of Jones, especially from a struggling Bath team. 

Bailey’s strengths are his vision and ability to attack the line. He displays the skill-set of a far more mature player and has shown himself to be a slippery customer for any defence. 

Tommy Freeman: 

Saints fullback Tommy Freeman is a wily, opportunistic fullback with a knack for making something out of nothing.  

Tall and rangy, the 20 year-old utilises his deceptive running style to carve up defences and put his team on the front foot. 

Ollie Hassell-Collins: 

For the past couple of seasons or so, many fans have been scratching their heads as to why this big, powerful London-Irish winger has not been capped by England. 

With his strength and pace, he has proved himself a lethal finisher who can wreak havoc on defences out wide. 

Luke Northmore: 

Northmore is a well-balanced midfielder who has racked up some noteworthy performances for Quins since joining the club in 2019. He has plenty of size (hovering around the 100kg mark) and pace to match. In addition to this, the 24 year-old displays competent footwork which sees him shift his frame beautifully through any gap which opens up in front of him.