Staking their claim: Bath vs Wasps

Eddie Jones will surely have his eyes glued to this Champions Cup clash between Wasps and Bath.

A number of current and potential England Six Nations squad members will be in action as the England boss looks to narrow down his squad for the competition. 

Here is who we think could make the most of their opportunity this weekend:

Zach Mercer - Bath

Mercer will be looking to use the next two weeks of Champions Cup action to press for a place in the test set up. Mercer had a brilliant game off the bench against the Springboks in November but was left out of the England squad for the remaining games. Highly rated by Eddie Jones, Mercer still needs to prove to the England boss that he has what it takes to play the big tests and a big performance against Wasps followed by one against Toulouse can do his reputation no harm.

Dan Robson - Wasps

Both Dan Robson and Joe Launchbury have recently made their returns from lengthy injury lay offs. Their timing could not be more perfect with Wasps struggling in Europe. Launchbury is almost guaranteed to be named in the England Six Nations squad, however, Robson is not. The lively halfback has been in and out of the England squad under Eddie Jones with many believing he is the man that could spark the English attack into life. Two blockbuster performances from Robson could force Jones’ hand.

Brad Shields - Wasps

Shields has blown hot and cold for both England and Wasps since arriving from the Hurricanes last year. His position in the England starting line is far from secure and he is another player who should take the field on Saturday looking to prove a point to Eddie Jones who has shown a lot of faith in the 27-year-old.

Nathan Hughes - Wasps

Another a big unit that Eddie Jones has shown a lot of faith to during his tenure as the England head coach. Hughes has been a consistent member in the England squad over the years but has recently seen his position come under threat with Zach Mercer performing brilliantly. With Billy Vunipola returning from injury, Jones could turn to Mercer to add a different layer to his back row with Hughes being the unfortunate casualty. However, a few big performances, starting with this game could see Hughes retain his position.