Predicting England's 30-Man Squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup

England’s focus turns to the 2015 World Cup following their fourth consecutive runners-up spot in the Six Nations. The 2015 Six Nations was the last truly competitive international arena for players to stake a claim to be in the 30-man squad England will select hoping to win the World Cup on home soil later this year.

Thirty-man squads are hard to gauge in terms of positional breakdown, so here we follow a very similar pattern to England’s 2011 selection: 

This slideshow will analyse who, injuries permitting, is seemingly inked-in to that World Cup squad, who is on the brink, and who the wild cards could be.

Seemingly inked-in: Joe Marler, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole and David Wilson

Wild card: Mako Vunipola

The first four are proven international-class players and lay the foundations for a powerful English pack. If England opt for their traditional, forward-orientated game, they may be inclined to take five props.

In which case, Vunipola’s mobility and the fact he offers something different as a runner could see him make the squad.

Seemingly inked-in: Dylan Hartley, Tom Youngs and Rob Webber

Wild card: Ross Batty

The three hookers who have played for England over the past year are likely to make the cut. If anyone were to break in, it could be Bath’s Ross Batty, who is good scrummager and powerful figure in the loose.

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— Gazettesport (@gazsport) February 20, 2015

Seemingly inked-in: Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes and Geoff Parling

On the brink: Dave Attwood and George Kruis

Wild cards: Maro Itoje and Nick Easter

As an area of real strength for England, there is only one spot up for grabs in the second row.

Attwood and Kruis have started for England this year, Easter’s form for Harlequins saw him propelled into the Six Nations team as second-row cover, while Maro Itoje of Saracens (see video above) is an athletic lock and one of the brightest prospects in the country.

Seemingly inked-in: Chris Robshaw

On the brink: Tom Wood, James Haskell and Tom Croft

Wild cards: Steffon Armitage and Matt Kvesic

Stuart Lancaster still has a headache on the flank. Does Tom Wood influence games sufficiently? Can Haskell’s discipline be trusted?

Will Tom Croft even make the World Cup? Do England need a “fetcher” like Matt Kvesic or Steffon Armitage? Will England continue their policy of only selecting home-based players? 

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— Brendan gallagher (@gallagherbren) March 30, 2015

Seemingly inked-in: Ben Morgan and Billy Vunipola

Wild cards: Nick Easter and Thomas Waldrom

If Morgan is fit, then this is a quick and easy decision for Lancaster. If not, he will turn to one of two over-30s.

Seemingly inked-in: Ben Youngs

On the brink: Richard Wigglesworth and Danny Care

Wild cards: Joe Simpson

Stuart Lancaster has chopped and changed his scrum-halves, giving hope to an outsider like Joe Simpson, who made the 2011 World Cup squad. Simpson’s pace from the base might yet earn the Wasps man a call-up if Wigglesworth or Care do not meet the required standards for the rest of the season.

Taking three scrum-halves can appear to be a luxury, but like hooker, it is a specialist position that needs sufficient cover.

Seemingly inked-in: George Ford and Owen Farrell

Wild cards: Danny Cipriani, Stephen Myler and Henry Slade

Sadly for Danny Cipriani and Co., England will need to deviate from their usual policy of taking just two fly-halves for them to get a call-up. Cipriani and Slade have much better chances than Myler given that they can cover other positions across the back division.

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— Sam Peters (@Sam_sportsnews) March 29, 2015

Seemingly inked-in: Jonathan Joseph and Manu Tuilagi

On the brink: Brad Barritt, Billy Twelvetrees and Luther Burrell

Wild cards: Henry Slade and Sam Burgess

Although England took three centres to the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, expect them to pick four in 2015. This would be in part to safeguard against Manu Tuilagi’s injury concerns and also because he and Joseph have a clear preference for playing at 13.

Neither Billy Twelvetrees nor Luther Burrell have convinced at 12, so Lancaster will be tempted by the reliability of Brad Barritt, and, depending on how the rest of the season goes, one of Henry Slade or possibly Sam Burgess.

Seemingly inked-in: Mike Brown, Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell

On the brink: Alex Goode

Wild cards: Jonny May, Christian Wade, Marland Yarde and Alex Lewington

Alex Goode will hope that being selected against Ireland when Mike Brown was recovering from concussion indicates that Lancaster would prefer him to play at full-back than Anthony Watson, who operates at 15 for Bath. In any case, Goode’s ability to play across the back line may be enough to earn him his spot.

Jonny May and Marland Yarde have fallen from grace, while one gets the impression Lancaster doesn’t rate Wade’s all-round game highly enough to select the Wasps livewire. Perhaps the biggest bolt from the blue could be London Irish’s Alex Lewington, who Lancaster has been tracking.