Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has given England a late injury scare before they start their Six Nations campaign against Wales on Saturday after pulling up in training.
The Exeter wing was unable to complete England’s session at Pennyhill Park due to a leg injury with Steve Borthwick’s medical staff investigating its extent on Thursday night.
If Feyi-Waboso is ruled out, Elliot Daly would appear the most likely candidate to play on the wing against Wales while Borthwick could also move Tommy Freeman from midfield and introduce Henry Slade or Max Ojomoh at centre. A more radical option would be to move Freddie Steward to the wing and select Marcus Smith, who has been named on the bench, at full-back. Cadan Murley of Harlequins was also named in the squad, but is due to appear for England A against Ireland on Friday night.
Losing Feyi-Waboso would be a blow given his form for England and Exeter this season. He started all four of England’s autumn internationals, scoring two tries, and was a constant threat on the wing, reintroducing himself to the international stage after missing last year’s Six Nations with a shoulder injury.
For Feyi-Waboso it would be a desperate shame given he is yet to appear for England against Wales, having had the opportunity to choose which of the two nations he would represent. “He’s really keen to be as good as he can be,” said the defence coach Richard Wigglesworth, who confirmed the 23-year-old is a fitness concern. “He’s really coachable, takes feedback really well, wants to learn and he’s got incredible physical commitment as well.”
Jamie George, meanwhile, has said that he did not expect to captain England again after he was restored to the role for Saturday’s match with Maro Itoje named on the bench. Itoje missed the start of England’s training camp in Girona after travelling to Nigeria to attend his mother’s funeral.
As a result Borthwick will start Itoje on the bench, with George leading the side on his own for the first time since his Saracens clubmate was appointed captain last January, before the 2025 championship.
“It’s a privilege, I love this job, it’s the best thing in the world, being able to do this,” said George, who co-captained the side with George Ford on last summer’s tour of the Americas. “It’s an incredible opportunity to be doing it again. It’s probably for one week and one week only, so I’m making the most of it. Not a huge amount has changed, the leadership meetings that we have – myself, George, Ellis, Maro – we’re having conversations, I’m speaking to Maro constantly.”
England, after 11 straight victories, are red-hot favourites to beat a Wales side who have not won a Six Nations match since 2023. With some bookmakers England are 66-1 on to put Wales to the sword and, while George believes that gives England’s opponents a “free hit”, the 35-year-old hooker has called on his side to embrace the expectation.
“While we are looking to use the momentum of the last 12 months we’ve made it very clear that we need to start big and start fast and set the markers down about what this team is going to be moving forward,” he added. “We haven’t shied away from it.
“It’s a free swing [for Wales]. When you’re a leader of a team you go looking for what’s going to drive us and I’ve no doubt they’ll be using all the stuff that’s going on in the background, the fact that it’s England v Wales, if I was in their camp I’d probably be saying the same thing.”
