4. Cadan Murley – Harlequins
The exciting Harlequins winger was unfortunate to not have already made his England debut, after being initially named in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 Six Nations.
Murley was named as one of five uncapped England hopefuls, yet was unable to make his mark whilst wearing the rose.
The 23-year-old was returned home to the Stoop, with Gloucester winger Jonny May called into the squad ahead of Murley, after a short injury concern to Max Malins.
Murley wasted no time back at Quins, and finished the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season as the league’s top try scorer. Murley’s 15 tries saw off the competition, despite a late push by Newcastle Falcons flyer Matteo Carreras. He has been one of Harlequins’ more consistent players, as Murley also topped the clean breaks charts with 30.
Murley plays with the confidence of a veteran far beyond his years. A firm fan favourite at the Stoop, the winger has already caught Borthwick’s attention, and could certainly be called in to reinforce the England squads back line.
A World Cup is a marathon, and with Murley’s impressive abilities at the sprint, he should be included in Borthwick’s plans in some capacity come September.
Expect the young Harlequins winger to make his debut during the upcoming Rugby World Cup Warm-Up matches, and shake off any international nerves. Getting this experience in a ‘friendly’ environment can benefit Murley, as he hopes to book his place on the squad list for France.