Freeman loving life at centre as Saints star gets set for Six Nations opener

If not for Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s frankly superhuman exploits for France and Bordeaux, Freeman’s last 12 months would be looked back on with even greater appreciation, becoming the first England player to score a try in every game of a men’s Six Nations, before going onto start three Tests for the British & Irish Lions.

Only Bielle-Biarrey’s eight tries during the 2025 Championships topped Freeman’s tally of five, and he has not looked back since returning from the Lions, with hat-tricks against Saracens and Bath already for Saints this season.

But while there is no question that he is already a world-class winger, the long-term project to move him to outside centre appears to be in full flow and looks like it could continue during the Six Nations.

It is a transition that has been pulled off in the past by Tana Umaga for the All Blacks, while France’s Aurélien Rougerie was equally successful at both positions. Few have made the move quite so early in their career, however.

Now 24, Freeman was first selected in the No.13 jersey for Saints during the 2023/24 season, England clearly saw something and Steve Borthwick selected him there out of the blue in the final game of the 2025 Six Nations – a record win over Wales in Cardiff.

It was again at outside centre that he started his next England game, a November win over Australia before shifting back to the wing a week later against Fiji because of an injury to Tom Roebuck.

Freeman himself was then ruled out of the last two games of the autumn, but four straight starts at outside centre for his club, including in an impressive win away to champions Bath with a rotated Saints team, showed just what he can do in the position.

Speaking about his positional switch, Freeman said: “I love it, it’s good to get a few minutes in there. It’s a new challenge and I’m certainly not the finished article there, there is loads to learn. But I’m loving it.

“Rory (Hutchinson) and Fraser (Dingwall) inside me are really giving me confidence to keep my own game going, I’m trying not to overcomplicate it too much because it’s still rugby, trying to move the ball to space and pass it. So, I’m loving it and happy to keep learning.

“Defensively there is a bit of a difference, I actually find the wing harder, there is a bit more space. If you make a bad decision on the wing, you can be cut a bit more easily. At 13, you have people on the inside of you and outside who can make up for you.

“So defensively it’s ok but in the attack, it’s a bit different. When you are on the wing, you’re running overs lines and coming on shoulders and not exactly running as straight. At 13, you’ve got to do a pretty good job at squaring up defenders and moving the ball, giving that last pass. That has taken a bit of time to adjust.”

That adjustment time has not been obvious from the outside, with Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan raving about Freeman’s performance at the Rec when he scored a hat-trick in a game against one of his direct rivals for the England spot in Ollie Lawrence.

It was Lawrence’s injury against Italy last March that opened the door for Freeman to make the move inside, and it appears that he may well get another shot in the position come the Six Nations, which England kick off against Wales at Twickenham.

Freeman added of the England thinking: “I think that 13 is probably still front of mind. But it’s both to be honest. Whatever Steve sees that week, that game plan, it’s dependent on lads playing and who is available and who is not. I will keep working on skills for both and whatever is needed, I’ll go.”

With his ability to pick a line and combine power and pace to scythe through gaps, it is understandable that England would like to get Freeman’s hands on the ball as much as possible.

However it might come at the expense of Lawrence, who had enjoyed something of a coming-of-age campaign during the 2025 Championship before an Achilles tear cruelly cut short his season.

For Anthony Watson, himself a Lions Test wing, the answer to getting Freeman on the ball while still keeping Lawrence at No.13, is to shift the Saints man to full-back.

It is a position that he knows well, having spent much of the Investec Champions Cup final filling in after George Furbank went off early with injury.

Furbank was first choice for England prior to an injury-hit end to last season, while this year he has struggled to string games together.

Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith shared starting duties in the autumn, but Watson believes that Freeman could be the solution.

He explained: “People won’t like my stance on it, but I’d put Tommy Freeman at full-back. I think you get a bit of the best of both.

“I know full-back comes with an entirely different array of skills in positioning and the high ball stuff. But we know he’s played a lot at full-back and he’s good in the air so I think you almost get the best of both worlds.

“You’ve got him able to hit those brilliant lines that we’ve seen time and time again from the centre, but you’ve also got the freedom of him being able to roam more and do it on both sides of the pitch, which he doesn’t get to do on the wing.

“So, it’s almost like a hybrid between the two in a position that England are still figuring it out. I would put him there, I think England are spoilt for choice on the wing, whoever comes in to cover the spot he was playing will do a brilliant job.

“And I think they do still have the quality in the centres. I think Tommy Freeman at full back would allow for the best possible backline that England can play.”

With Roebuck still on the comeback trail from injury, it may be that Freeman is needed back in his most familiar role for the start of the Six Nations at least.

And until England settle on a nailed-on full-back, then Watson’s suggestion also has merit.

But in the long-term, both Freeman and Borthwick seem determined for him to be an outside centre.

If that means increased competition for a starting spot from Lawrence, so be it.

Freeman added: “You might not be as comfortable (because of the competition for places), but as soon as you are comfortable, you might get a bit lazy and switch off. Everyone is holding each other to account and really getting some nice healthy competition going. That is where you want to be as a team and everyone getting better.”

England are certainly getting better, and Freeman has been a big part of it. The only question left is when he moves to centre for good.

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