Steve Borthwick has announced a fresh-looking 36-man squad for this year’s Six Nations, including seven uncapped players.

Ethan Roots, Fraser Dingwall, Fin Smith, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Roebuck, Oscar Beard and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will all be hoping to earn their first England caps this season, however the squad is littered with talent-and more importantly in-form talent.

The likes of Tom Pearson, George Furbank, Tommy Freeman, Ben Spencer and Beno Obano are all in red-hot form, and their call-ups hint of a new era under Steve Borthwick in his second year at the helm.

But who will England’s star men be? Will any of the uncapped bolters become key players? Here is who we think are players to keep an eye on in this England squad.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

Where else could we start? Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been the subject of an international tug-of-war in the build up to the Six Nations, but the Cardiff-born winger has opted to play for England, and England fans should be thrilled with his decision.

He has burst onto the scene this season at Sandy Park, and has quickly become a nailed on starter for Rob Baxter’s side. He has electric pace and is easily capable of leaving defenders in the dust; but he also boasts a huge amount of power, as is just as good at running through them too. He has all the skills to thrive in the test arena, and if he is given a shot he could easily become a regular starter for England.

Tom Pearson

The Northampton Saints flanker didn’t put his best foot forward on his England debut, but he has come on leaps and bounds this season under Phil Dowson and could easily push for a starting shirt.

He announced his arrival in the big time last season with London Irish, but he has improved so much at Northampton, and really added to their back-row. He is a quick flanker who gets through a lot of work around the pitch, and this industrious attitude will work really well in tandem with the other flankers England have at their disposal-like Sam Underhill. He did find it tough on debut, but that was more than likely a blip and this time around he should impress.

Ben Spencer

Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer has flirted with the England set-up for years, but in the current form he is in he could make the nine jersey his for years to come.

The former Saracen is the ideal scrum-half to fit the Steve Borthwick system. He has a fantastic box kick, which often helps propel Bath up the pitch, but he can effortlessly blend this with a clever running game and a desire for quick ball. These hallmarks have allowed him to become one of the most complete scrum-halves in the Premiership this season, and a thoroughly deserved spot in the England team.

Another big selling point for Spencer is he is the captain at Bath, so his leadership will prove valuable to Steve Borthwick’s side.

Tommy Freeman

Another Northampton Saint makes our list in the form of Tommy Freeman. The outside back has been in the form of his life this season, and looks set to be a starter this Six Nations.

This season, Freeman has moved across into 13, and he has found plenty of success in his new position. This ability to cover both wing and 13 will massively boost his chances of selection, but as he has shown for his club this season, he can switch between the positions with ease. He has been a standout player in the Saints backline this season, and hopefully can make his mark on the International stage this time around.

Ethan Roots

Powerful New Zealand-born forward Ethan Roots has settled into life well in Exeter, so well in fact he’s been called up for the England squad.

Roots moved to the Chiefs this summer as a direct replacement for club hero Dave Ewers, and he has gone above and beyond what was expected of him in his first few months. He is a strong, direct ball carrier and gets through lots of tackles. He also does a lot of the unseen and underappreciated work around the park, which could be a huge asset to have in the test arena.