England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, is on the verge of springing a significant selection shocker, as he prepares to field scrum-half Alex Mitchell in the pivotal pool match against Argentina.
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Mitchell was not in Borthwick’s initial 33-man squad for the World Cup and his only previous start was against Fiji in England’s final-warm-up game after being called into the squad following Jack van Poortvliet’s injury.
According to reports from The Telegraph, despite the more seasoned options of Danny Care and Ben Youngs, who collectively boast 204 caps, Mitchell has surged ahead in the selection stakes.
The 26-year-old scrum-half made the most of his opportunity, injecting a much-needed tempo into England’s back-line play during their encounter with the Pacific Islanders, a dimension that had been lacking in their previous warm-up fixtures.
Curry set to start
The 25-year-old rugby powerhouse, Curry, is back in action after an ankle injury sidelined him since May when Sale faced a heart-wrenching defeat in the Premiership final.
England’s defensive maestro, Kevin Sinfield, couldn’t be happier and said he’s ‘delighted’ to have Curry back in the mix.
“It’s great to see Tom out there training,” said defence coach Kevin Sinfield.
The rugby league legend added: “He’s been excellent. “We’ve got no doubt about that (if he could start).
“He’s got a number of caps under his belt now and he’s been doing it for years. He can play a number of positions across the back row for us too. We’re delighted he’s available.”
Courtney Lawes, set to lead the team as captain, is all set to begin in the back-row position, despite his absence from the opening cap ceremony due to some soreness.
Wigglesworth said: “Courtney is a bit sore from training on Friday so we decided the best thing for him was to not sit in a chair for an hour or so then have to stand up,
“He is resting at the hotel. He is bit sore from training – the pitch was heavy because of the rain. Nothing too serious, we are just looking after him.”
One are that could still change is the wings as Steve Borthwick waits on the fitness of Elliot Daly and Henry Arundell. If Daly is ruled out, Max Malins will likely start on the wing.
Expected England XV:
15. Freddie Steward
14. Elliot Daly
13. Joe Marchant
12. Ollie Lawrence
11. Jonny May