3 Nov 2025

Ones to Watch: England vs Australia

The countdown to kick off for the third Ashes test is on as AMT Headingley prepares to host the closing game of the 2025 series this Saturday, kick off 2.30pm.

Whether you have a ticket for the sold out crowd or planning to watch on BBC One, here are some of the names you need to keep an eye out for:

Australia - Mark Nawaqanitawase

Off the back of a stellar season at club level with NRL side Sydney Roosters, winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has carried his performances into this year's Ashes series as one of the Kangaroos' leading outside backs.

Nawaqanitawase quickly became a star of the 2025 NRL competition thanks to his freakish finishing and scoring ability, as he scored 24 tries in 23 games to finish atop the NRL's try-scoring charts. After starring for Australia in Rugby Sevens at the Paris Olympics, he was brought into the Roosters' fold this season and hasn't looked back, capping his year by featuring in the Dally M Team of the Year.

His form sealed a place in the Kangaroos squad for the Ashes series, but not without controversy, as he confirmed that 2026 will be his last year at the Roosters as he pushes for a place in Australia's squad for the Rugby Union World Cup in 2027. He has silenced the critics with two strong performances outside Brisbane's Kotoni Staggs, with the pair threatening down the right edge. Although he is still looking for his first try in green and gold, Nawaqanitawase has accrued the most metres of any player (Australian or English), the third-most ball carries, and the joint-most line breaks across the opening two Tests. His 19 carries in the opening Test at Wembley are still the most made by either an England or Australia player so far, and his 205 metres has only been beaten by Reece Walsh, who ran for 207 metres under the arch.

2025 Ashes Stats

Appearances: 2

Carries: 32 (3rd overall)

Metres: 321 (1st overall)

Line Breaks: 2 (Joint 1st overall)

Tackle Breaks: 6

Offloads: 3

England - Herbie Farnworth

A tough Test series for England has seen moments of individual brilliance, one of which has been from centre Herbie Farnworth.

Since breaking through the ranks at the Brisbane Broncos, he was pivotal in helping Kevin Walters' side reach the Grand Final in 2023 before a move to the Dolphins enhanced the NRL’s newest side's attack alongside Jamayne Isaako and Jack Bostock. Up until his injury in Round 22 against the Warriors, Farnworth was on course for one of his best NRL seasons, setting personal records for try assists and line breaks, and sitting just three tries short of matching his career-best tally in a single season before injury struck.

Firmly one of England’s top threats since his international debut in 2022, Farnworth has been the top-performing centre when compared to teammate Joe Wardle and former Brisbane teammates Kotoni Staggs and Gehamat Shibasaki. Only Tom Johnstone and George Williams have carried the ball more than Farnworth so far this series. The two-time Dally M Centre of the Year also ranks among England’s leading tackle-breakers (11 breaks) and metre-makers (188 metres), and has the joint-most offloads, with Kai Pearce-Paul, at four across both Tests.

2025 Ashes Stats

Appearances: 2

Carries: 31

Metres: 188

Tackle Breaks: 11

Offloads: 4

Australia - Angus Crichton

Sydney Roosters back-rower Angus Crichton has warranted his selection in green and gold, as the New South Wales representative has been a force in attack and defence for the Kangaroos.

A Premiership winner with the Tricolours in 2019, Crichton came through at the South Sydney Rabbitohs before finding his home under Trent Robinson. His club record is an impressive one: 198 NRL appearances, 50 tries, 17 caps for his state, and ten appearances for his country since his debut at the 2022 World Cup. For the Roosters this year, he played the most minutes of any forward and finished in the club’s top five players for tackles, carries, and metres.

It's no surprise, then, that Crichton has carried that form into the international arena under Kevin Walters. His two tries at Wembley Stadium capped off a confident performance in which he made 132 metres from 13 carries and completed 23 of 29 tackles. Last time out in Everton, he was the Kangaroos’ top tackler, metre-maker, and ball-carrier.

2025 Ashes Stats

Appearances: 2

Tries: 2

Carries: 31

Metres: 222

Tackle Breaks: 13

Tackles: 65

England - Kallum Watkins

Three years after his last England call-up, Kallum Watkins was back in red and white last Saturday as he started in the second row for Shaun Wane.

International honours came as Watkins returned home to the Rhinos from Salford two months into the season, and he was an instant hit as Leeds began to climb the table. Scoring on his second debut against Huddersfield on Good Friday, his move into the loose-forward role meshed perfectly with Jake Connor, Brodie Croft, and Lachie Miller to spark the Rhinos' attack - Watkins going on to score three times in games against Leigh and Hull FC before the end of the season.

After missing out on the first Test, Watkins came in for John Bateman at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium and repaid the England head coach for his opportunity, as the Leeds man was the joint-second-highest tackle-maker for England alongside Kai Pearce-Paul. At 34 years old, he was the only England forward to complete all 80 minutes, and to cap off a great performance he added two offloads and the second-highest number of tackle breaks with five.