Immanuel Feyi-Waboso handed England a late Six Nations injury blow by withdrawing from today’s (SAT) opener with Wales.
But captain Jamie George declared his team ready for a bid for Championship glory despite the loss of the in-form winger.
Feyi-Waboso, who was born in Cardiff, was yesterday (FRI) ruled out after limping out of training on Thursday.
He has been replaced by Sale’s Tom Roebuck.
The Wales game will be Roebuck’s first since he suffered a broken toe against New Zealand in November.
On Monday, England head coach Steve Borthwick said Roebuck needed more time to recover after he was initially left out of the 23-man squad. But now he is straight into the starting line-up at the 11th hour.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss England’s opening Six Nations match with rivals Wales
Sale star Tom Roebuck (left) replaces Feyi-Waboso in the Roses’ starting line-up
‘Does it disrupt some plans? Yes, it does because it’s changing a player,’ said England scrum coach Tom Harrison.
‘But we’ve done everything we can to make sure the next player is ready. In an ideal world, we’d have given him (Roebuck) an extra week but the world isn’t ideal. He trained fully and he’s been exceptional around the squad. I’m excited to see him go.’
Feyi-Waboso missed last season’s Six Nations and the 2025 Lions tour of Australia after suffering a serious shoulder problem. But he has been back to his best this season, impressing in the PREM Rugby with his club.
Feyi-Waboso also started all four of England’s November Tests, scoring against both Fiji and Argentina as a part of the national side’s ongoing 11-game winning streak.
‘Any player would be disappointed with an injury. We’re gutted for him,’ said flanker Sam Underhill of the loss of Feyi-Waboso. ‘He’s a very emotionally resilient guy, hardworking.
‘No doubt he’ll be back better for it, but it’s disappointing.’
Steve Tandy’s Wales will surely look to expose Roebuck’s lack of match minutes.
‘The Six Nations is up there with one of the best sporting competitions in the world. It doesn’t get much better than this,’ said George, who is leading England with Maro Itoje on the bench.Â
Feyi-Waboso, who was born in Cardiff, limped out of a training with a leg problem on Thursday
‘We’re ready to get going now. There are some world-class players in this team now, which maybe there hasn’t been for a little while.’
Wales are rank outsiders to seal what would be their first win on English soil since 2015. Tandy’s side were hammered 73-0 by double World Cup winners South Africa in their last match and their domestic game is in turmoil.
The Welsh Rugby Union is planning to cut the number of its club teams from four to three, with the Swansea-based Ospreys in the firing line. Wales captain Dewi Lake is one of four Ospreys players in their matchday squad for England.
Their head coach Tandy is also a former Ospreys boss.
Unusually for an England player, Underhill spent time in Welsh club rugby with the Ospreys at the start of his career.
‘I feel for the players for sure,’ he said.
‘The Ospreys are a phenomenal club. They’ve contributed so much to Welsh rugby over the years and it’s always a massive shame to potentially risk losing a club of that significance and importance.Â
‘You never want to put players in positions where they’re not sure what their future is going to look like. I owe a lot to the Ospreys. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.’
Share or comment on this article:
Six Nations blow for England as key man is ruled out of Twickenham opener against Wales