England could be without two key players this autumn as pressure mounts on head coach Steve Borthwick and his Red Rose squad.
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Borthwick is anxiously waiting on the fitness updates of first-choice half-backs Alex Mitchell and George Ford, ahead of a crucial November series, starting with the All Blacks at the Allianz Stadium.
Mitchell Sidelined with Neck Injury
Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell has already missed the Saints’ opening two Premiership fixtures due to a neck injury. Saints’ director of rugby, Phil Dowson, expressed uncertainty over Mitchell’s return, admitting that the timeline for recovery remains unclear.
“He’s had scans and some treatment, and we’re waiting to see if that’s enough to get him back,” Dowson said. “I genuinely do not have a timeline – it could be anything. It’s up in the air.”
Mitchell’s absence is a blow for England as he was expected to be a key part of Borthwick’s plans this autumn.
Ford’s Quad Tear Adds to Concerns
Sale’s George Ford is also a doubt after limping off during his team’s loss to Saracens. Ford is currently awaiting scan results on a suspected quadriceps tear. Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson confirmed that Ford’s injury will require further assessment before any timeline for recovery can be determined.
“He pulled a muscle in his quad, and we’re not sure how long it will take to rehab,” Sanderson explained. “The scan indicates a tear, so it was the right decision to take him off.”
With Ford potentially sidelined, England could face a major setback in their preparations for the November tests.
Sinckler Shines in France
In more positive news, Kyle Sinckler, who was dropped from the England squad last season and later became unavailable after moving to Toulon, has been impressing in France. The prop has secured back-to-back Team of the Week nominations in the Top 14, signaling a return to top form.
As the injury list grows, Borthwick may have to consider alternative options for his squad ahead of a challenging autumn campaign.
PREDICTION: Steve Borthwick’s England team to face the All Blacks in Autumn Series Opener
As with any predictions piece, the unpredictability of professional rugby injuries throws quite the spanner into the best laid plans. Just this past week, both George Ford and Maro Itoje were taken off the Saracens vs Sale Sharks battlefield with injuries, with Ford looking likely to miss more action that the stalwart England lock.
With that said, we dusted off the proverbial crystal ball for a look into the future and here is what we found. These are Ruck’s predictions for Steve Borthwick’s England squad, to face New Zealand in the opening match of the 2024 Autumn Series.
BACK THREE
15. George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
11. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
We commence the match day 23 with the outside backs, and we can’t see Steve Borthwick making any changes to his trio that took on the All Blacks in Dunedin back in July. Beginning with newly coronated Northampton Saints club captain George Furbank, the fullback missed out on the second Test at Auckland’s Eden Park, after suffering a back injury after a heavy coming together with New Zealand wing Sevu Reece.
Furbank was replaced by Leicester Tigers fullback Freddie Steward for the second Test, yet the Northampton man has been in impressive upon the return of the green, black and golds in recent weeks. Whilst Furbank may be a step away from the grade compared to Steward’s dominance under the high ball, the Saint’s versatility is what he really brings to the table, proving himself indispensable to Borthwick as Swiss army knife of covering options.
Tommy Freeman is our pick to resume ownership of the 11 jersey, with the Northampton flyer running out for his first full 80 minutes of the season, against Exeter this past Saturday. Freeman was amongst the England players that had a staggered re-introduction to their clubs, after the announcement of the Professional Group Partnership in September.
Freeman silenced the All Blacks fans with his try at Eden Park in July, and would want nothing more than to emulate this with a try-scoring roar from the Twickenham faithful this coming November. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso certainly left his mark in an England shirt this past Summer, as the Exeter Chiefs wing scored three tries on the tour, crossing over in each match against Japan and New Zealand.
Feyi-Waboso ensured that he left New Zealand with the All Blacks remembering his name, after Sevu Reece admitted to not knowing who the Exeter Chiefs man was ahead of the opening Test in the Forsyth Barr Stadium. Feyi-Waboso scored a brace of tries in the Chiefs defeat to Northampton this past weekend, as the wing is back firing at his best ahead of a return call to the England squad.
CENTRES
13. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Onto the midfielders, and there is some contention for places if Exeter Chiefs centre Henry Slade does not return in time from injury. Currently, Slade is in the midst of a lengthy road to recovery, after the Chiefs man underwent shoulder surgery following the England tour last Summer. Slade had initially injured his shoulder in a tackle attempt on Duhan van der Merwe, when the powerhouse wing scored his stunning solo try in Scotland’s Six Nations win against England at Murrayfield last February.
However, Slade was able to keep the injury maintained throughout the rest of the 2023/24 season, and was a key player in many of Exeter’s and England’s highlights. If the Devon native is unable to return to the England squad in time for the All Blacks test, then we predict Fraser Dingwall to get the nod to take up the 13 jersey. With Manu Tuilagi now ineligible for England, following his move to French club Bayonne, Dingwall could step into the outside centre slot, where he starred for the Saints last season in their Premiership title winning campaign.
Dingwall brings the added versatility to the midfield, with the prior capabilities of running out in both the inside and outside centre channels. Also bringing extra flexibility into the centre options is Bath’s Ollie Lawrence, who plays for the blue, black and whites at 13, yet has been recently utilised by Borthwick in the 12 shirt. Lawrence was England’s go to man in the inside centre for both the 2024 Six Nations and the latest Summer tour, and did it all whilst alternating back to outside centre in Bath’s run to the Premiership Final.
Lawrence’s Bath midfield partner Max Ojomah is a considerable shout for an England debut this Autumn, with the midfielder called into Borthwick’s wider training squad, that jetted out to Spain for a pre 2024 Six Nations camp. Ojomah is currently on the mend after sustaining a foot injury, so time will tell if he is fit for the senior England squad, or perhaps a run in the England A set-up, who return to face Australia A at the Stoop in November.