My four changes that will fire up England

WHOEVER is in the England squad for the Six Nations to be announced on Tuesday by Steve Borthwick I cannot imagine that there will be too much in the way of change.

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This column focuses on changes in just four positions, hooker, No.8, inside centre and outside centre, and whether Borthwick should make adjustments, because no team can hope to be successful without the two central positions in the pack and the backline being in great working order.

There has been plenty of chatter since the autumn around Jamie George, below, as both England captain and hooker, and whether at the age of 34 he will be at the top of his game by the time the 2027 World Cup arrives.

I understand why he was made captain after Owen Farrell because he had a strong track record, and there was some sort of straw poll where it became apparent that he was liked and respected throughout the squad.

However, first and foremost in international rugby, you have to be the best in your position, and, just as George pushed Dylan Hartley for his place, now that Luke Cowan-Dickie is fit, George is also being pushed hard." Of the other hooking contenders I'm not totally convinced by Theo Dan, who is George's understudy at Saracens, and also for England.

Dan is a busy presence off the bench, but if it gets heavy-duty at Test level and it usually does being busy is not quite enough.

Dan is a fit, dynamic young hooker, but size does matter in some positions, and sometimes hooker can be one of them, and it is noticeable that South Africa and France can both field two front rows each with physically powerful hookers like Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Peato Mauvaka, and Julien Marchand.