Trio of scrum halves jockey for England starting shirt

Mitchell’s absence for November Tests leaves door open

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

The indications from England camp are that Steve Borthwick will stick with a settled side this autumn, but at least one significant selection decision must be made. It is a mark of Alex Mitchell’s improvement as a player that a man fourth in the pecking order at the initial naming of the World Cup squad last August is now indisputably England’s first-choice number nine when fit.

But with the prognosis uncertain on his neck injury, Mitchell appears set to miss the four November Tests, leaving a sizeable hole. The Northampton man has fulfilled the starting brief in fine fashion over the last 12 months, marrying a sharpness of pass with real shrewdness and maturity. It is perhaps no coincidence that England’s worst performance of 2024 came with Mitchell unavailable against Scotland at Murrayfield.

While Ben Youngs and Danny Care are now enjoying the comforts of international retirement, the scrum-half cupboard is far from bare. Jostling for places in the pecking order are three players of different strengths, each emblematic of the club for which they play, and all very much in contention to feature in the opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against the All Blacks.

“It’s a good battle,” said Richard Wigglesworth, himself a former scrum half, as the England attack coach assessed Ben Spencer, Jack van Poortvliet and Harry Randall. “They are three different nines but good players in their own right who have become very important at their clubs.