4. Mike Brown
Mike Brown has enjoyed a recent career resurgence, since joining Leicester Tigers at the end of January. The 37-year-old struggled to fit into the fold at Newcastle Falcons, and believed that he was overlooked due to his age. Brown gave an impassioned post-match interview, following his player of the match performance on his Tigers debut; “People use age as an excuse to write you off.”
The fullback has returned to his fabled top form, and is providing nostalgic performances week after week in the Premiership. The Harlequins legend last played for England during the 2018 Summer Tour to South Africa, when Eddie Jones’ side lost the series 2-1 to the Springboks. Brown scored his 13th and final England try in the second test, yet England were eventually overrun by South Africa 23-12.
In his five appearances for the Tigers, Brown has already scored twice, crossing over against Gloucester and Saracens, and has also has an assist to his name. He is back to his line-running best, and is proving to be a handful for the Premiership’s defenders. 17 defenders beaten with ball in hand, sees Brown once again become a threatening force in the top flight of English rugby.
With such a fine return to form, Brown is by no means a ‘write-off’ for England selection. His new home at Leicester could also prove to play to his favour, as he would be able to work seamlessly with Freddie Steward, Jack van Poortvliet and co, as Borthwick selects some of his former Tigers faithfuls.