Six Northampton Saints players have been selected in England’s first 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations squad of the campaign when they take on Wales this weekend.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has selected an all-Northampton midfield for Saturday’s Round 1 clash at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with Tommy Freeman earning his 23rd cap from outside centre, alongside club-mate Fraser Dingwall, who wears the number 12 shirt on the occasion of his eighth cap.
Alex Mitchell moves to 28 senior appearances for his country from scrum-half, while Alex Coles packs down in the second row for his 15th England cap.
There’s further Saints among the replacements as Trevor Davison is set to make his first international appearance since July 2024 at tighthead prop, and Henry Pollock is poised to make his impact as a substitute, having scored two tries on his England debut in this head-to-head in last season’s Six Nations.
“England versus Wales is always a special occasion in the rugby calendar. It’s a fierce rivalry with a long history, and one that brings a huge challenge every time we meet,” said Borthwick.
“We expect Wales to bring a kicking game, so we’ll need to be accurate in how we respond to that challenge. For us, our focus is on executing our game plan and maintaining discipline throughout the match.
“We’re excited to get the Championship underway at a packed-out Allianz Stadium. The support we receive at home is outstanding and always gives the players a huge lift.
ENGLAND VS WALES
Saturday 7 February 2026
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 4.40pm
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 41 caps)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 22 caps)
12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)
11. Henry Arundell (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 105 caps) – vice-captain
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 27 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 75 caps) – vice-captain
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 105 caps) – captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 17 caps)
4. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 14 caps)
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 30 caps)
6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 7 caps)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 45 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 46 caps)
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 53 caps)
17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)
18. Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
19. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 97 caps)
20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 65 caps)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 14 caps)
23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 46 caps)