Chandler Cunningham-South is set to make his first Test appearance at No8 when England play Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday, with Fin Smith under consideration to reclaim the fly-half role from George Ford.
England’s No8 planning was thrown into disarray on the eve of the autumn international series when Tom Willis announced he was leaving Saracens to join Bordeaux Bègles next summer.
A powerful carrier who excels in the tighter spaces, Willis had been pencilled in as England long-term No8 after starring on the summer tour to Argentina. But the 26-year-old’s move to France will render him ineligible for World Cup selection in 2027 and so Steve Borthwick cut him from the England squad immediately.
Fin Smith, training at Pennyhill Park this week, was England’s first-choice fly half during the Six Nations
PAUL CHILDS/REUTERS
Ben Earl returned to No8 for the win against Australia but he is a different style of player: a rapid, dynamic athlete who poses more of a threat in open spaces than in those close-quarter battles. Henry Pollock, who is cut from a similar cloth, replaced Earl in the second half on Saturday.
But Borthwick, the head coach, wants to uncover an alternative option at No8 — an abrasive carrier who can drive England forward through heavy traffic. Emeka Ilione, the Leicester Tigers loose forward, is another long-term option but he will miss England’s autumn campaign with a shoulder injury.
Cunningham-South is a bruising carrier who relishes the physical side of the game. The 22-year-old has won his 19 caps either at blind-side flanker or as a high-impact replacement. He is developing into a frontline lineout option and has played at lock and at No8 for Harlequins this season.
Borthwick will finalise his team on Thursday but he is expected to unleash Cunningham-South from the start against Fiji, with Earl potentially switching back to open-side flanker.
Fin Smith, who started all four of England’s Six Nations victories this year and earned himself a place on the British & Irish Lions tour, could reclaim the fly-half jersey from George Ford in a back line featuring up to four changes.
Tom Roebuck injured an ankle in training on Tuesday, joining Freddie Steward as a fitness doubt and forcing England to delay their team announcement. Steward suffered what appeared to be a fractured or dislocated finger against Australia and he has not trained with the team so far this week.
Earl played at No8 against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday and scored the opening try for England
SANDRA MAILER/SHUTTERSTOCK
Tommy Freeman was pencilled in to start at outside centre against Fiji — having done so against Australia — but he is expected to shift to the wing if Roebuck fails to prove his fitness. That would open the way for Ollie Lawrence to make his international comeback in midfield after rupturing an achilles against Italy in the Six Nations.
Marcus Smith is in line to start at full back in place of Steward, having worn the No15 jersey when England defeated Fiji in the World Cup quarter-finals in October 2023, less than two months after losing to the Pacific Islanders in a warm-up match at Twickenham.
Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old Saracens wing who scored five tries on his first Gallagher Prem start for Saracens, will play for England A against an All Blacks XV in Bath on Saturday. Caluori spent last week in the senior camp, playing the role of Australia’s Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii as England drilled their high-ball game.
England A squad to play All Blacks XVJosh Hodge; Noah Caluori, Angus Hall, Max Ojomoh, Ollie Hassell-Collins; Charlie Atkinson, Archie McParland; Emmanuel Iyogun, Jamie Blamire, Afolabi Fasogbon, Tom Lockett, Joe Batley, Ethan Roots, Tom Pearson, Greg Fisilau. Replacements Kepu Tuipulotu, Tarek Haffar, Vilikesa Sela, Ben Bamber, Fitz Harding, Caolan Englefield, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Adam Radwan.
The England A squad will be captained by Ethan Roots, the Exeter Chiefs flanker, and contains seven players with senior caps, the most experienced of whom is Jamie Blamire, the Leicester hooker, who has made seven Test appearances.
England v Fiji
Twickenham
Saturday, kick-off 5.40pm.
TV TNT Sports 1