Roebuck And Steward Injuries Likely To Trigger Major England Reshuffle Against Fiji

Injuries to Tom Roebuck and Freddie Steward look apt to trigger an eye-catching reshuffle successful England’s backline for nan Test against Fiji connected Saturday. Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell and Ollie Lawrence are each successful contention to beryllium involved, pinch Manny Feyi-Waboso perchance nan solitary starting back-three subsister from the triumph against Australia connected past Saturday.

The caput coach, Steve Borthwick, had been hoping to denote his starting XV early this week only for that scheme to beryllium mothballed erstwhile Roebuck limped retired of training prematurely connected Tuesday pinch an ankle problem. Steward has not trained truthful acold this week aft sustaining a digit wounded precocious successful nan triumph against nan Wallabies, opening nan measurement for Smith to switch him astatine full-back.

Roebuck was an influential fig against Australia, his aerial skills contributing to 2 of England’s 4 tries, but if he is ruled unavailable England are not short of options. In an perfect world nan guidance are keen to proceed their research of deploying Tommy Freeman astatine centre, which leaves Arundell and Cadan Murley vying for slots successful nan matchday 23. And if nan dancing Smith starts astatine 15, a bigger ball-carrying beingness specified arsenic Lawrence would connection useful midfield balance.

Arundell, meanwhile, has not played for England since departing for nan French Top 14 pursuing nan 2023 World Cup, during which he scored 5 tries successful a single crippled against Chile. He has been successful fantabulous shape this play for Bath and, pinch his 23rd day looming connected Saturday, is itching for different chance to show disconnected his startling gait astatine nan highest level.

“It’s awesome to person him backmost and to spot him people a crazy magnitude of tries already successful nan Prem,” nan England adjunct coach Kevin Sinfield said. “He’s been bully successful training and is banging connected nan door.”

If Arundell, Feyi-Waboso and Smith do each commencement they would rank alongside nan astir elusive and attack-minded backmost 3 England person fielded. Sinfield is besides convinced that Smith tin create into a apical world full-back if he is not needed astatine fly-half, peculiarly successful nan absence of nan injured George Furbank and Elliot Daly. “I deliberation he is simply a world-class full-back,” Sinfield said.

Marcus Smith could return advantage of nan injuries to England’s attack. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

“A large portion of his Lions inclusion, truthful I americium told, was down to nan truth he could screen 15. So we person sewage a world-class 10 but besides a world-class 15. He is different to a batch of different full-backs worldwide but arsenic you cognize he tin hit group and he tin beryllium that 2nd shot subordinate for us.

“Marcus’s preference, and I wholly understand this, would beryllium to play astatine 10 but you look crossed rugby, rugby convention and shot and location is an knowing that group play retired of position from clip to clip to effort and get your champion players connected nan field.

“You only person to look backmost to nan England shot ‘golden generation’ erstwhile they tried each those different combinations but I don’t deliberation anyone really said to them: ‘You guys activity it out.’ They astir apt would person done if they were told that.”

Sinfield has played pinch and coached immoderate earnestly bully players successful some rugby codes truthful it was besides a awesome compliment erstwhile he compared Feyi-Waboso to a cross-code legend. “He reminds maine a batch of Jason Robinson,” Sinfield said. “I don’t deliberation I person travel crossed anybody arsenic powerful, aliases arsenic explosive complete that first mates of metres.

“Rob Burrow was very explosive but he wouldn’t person had nan musculus wide that Manny has. Jason is astir apt nan astir akin subordinate we’ve had ... his expertise to propulsion done tackles, nan spot successful his hips. There aren’t galore players for illustration that.”