Category News

Quilter Nations Series: England v Fiji

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 8 November Kick-off: 17:40 GMT

Fin Smith will start at fly-half against Fiji on Saturday, with Marcus Smith at full-back and regular captain Maro Itoje on the bench, as England head coach Steve Borthwick rotates through his combinations once more.

Chandler Cunningham-South, who can play at flanker and second row, will make his first Test start at number eight as Borthwick attempts to add depth in the position following Tom Willis’ decision to move to France at the end of the season and out of international eligibility.

Lawrence tore his Achilles tendon in the Six Nations win over Italy in March, but has made a faster-than-expected recovery after a rehabilitation, featuring hyperbaric chambers and red light therapy, which he documented on social media.

Northampton’s Alex Coles comes into the second row, with Itoje’s influence saved for the second half. Prop Ellis Genge, back in the starting line-up, will be the on-field captain from the start.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl, Cunningham-South

England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield admitted that frustration was inevitable among his trio of fly-halves.

“You don’t,” he told Rugby Union Weekly when asked how he managed to keep them all happy.

“But that is how it should be. At this level there is always someone who is a little disgruntled, who has maybe has a little bit of frustration.

“They are all impatient because they all want to play now, and want the shirt now, but an understanding of that is how it is different to their clubs – and their selflessness and putting the team first – is really important.

“Of course it takes some managing, but they are all good guys and understand the value of the team and that sometimes they are going to get bad news and have to work through it like everyone else.

“We have seen other nations be able to interchange who starts at 10 and done it very, very well. The quality of our 10s means we are able to do similar.”

Fin Smith, the youngest of the three fly-half options at 23, oversaw England’s successful end to last year’s Six Nations after being handed his first Test start in the wake of an opening-round defeat by Ireland.

With him at 10, England won their remaining four games to come second in the table, their highest finish since lifting the title in the Covid-affected 2020 tournament.

However Smith admitted he was disappointed by his form on the subsequent Lions tour, as he was unable to mount a serious challenge to Scotland’s Finn Russell as the Test 10.

Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour is named on the bench with British and Irish Lion Will Stuart left out of the squad, while Bath’s Henry Arundell, whose last England appearance before a move to Racing 92 was at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, is the only backline cover among the replacements.

England have won eight of their nine meetings with Fiji, most recently prevailing 30-24 in a bruising quarter-final at France 2023.

Quilter Nations Series: England v Fiji

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 8 November Kick-off: 17:40 GMT

Fin Smith will start at fly-half against Fiji on Saturday, with Marcus Smith at full-back and regular captain Maro Itoje on the bench, as England head coach Steve Borthwick rotates through his combinations once more.

Chandler Cunningham-South, who can play at flanker and second row, will make his first Test start at number eight as Borthwick attempts to add depth in the position following Tom Willis’ decision to move to France at the end of the season and out of international eligibility.

Lawrence tore his Achilles tendon in the Six Nations win over Italy in March, but has made a faster-than-expected recovery after a rehabilitation, featuring hyperbaric chambers and red light therapy, which he documented on social media.

Northampton’s Alex Coles comes into the second row, with Itoje’s influence saved for the second half. Prop Ellis Genge, back in the starting line-up, will be the on-field captain from the start.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl, Cunningham-South

England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield admitted that frustration was inevitable among his trio of fly-halves.

“You don’t,” he told Rugby Union Weekly when asked how he managed to keep them all happy.

“But that is how it should be. At this level there is always someone who is a little disgruntled, who has maybe has a little bit of frustration.

“They are all impatient because they all want to play now, and want the shirt now, but an understanding of that is how it is different to their clubs – and their selflessness and putting the team first – is really important.

“Of course it takes some managing, but they are all good guys and understand the value of the team and that sometimes they are going to get bad news and have to work through it like everyone else.

“We have seen other nations be able to interchange who starts at 10 and done it very, very well. The quality of our 10s means we are able to do similar.”

Fin Smith, the youngest of the three fly-half options at 23, oversaw England’s successful end to last year’s Six Nations after being handed his first Test start in the wake of an opening-round defeat by Ireland.

With him at 10, England won their remaining four games to come second in the table, their highest finish since lifting the title in the Covid-affected 2020 tournament.

However Smith admitted he was disappointed by his form on the subsequent Lions tour, as he was unable to mount a serious challenge to Scotland’s Finn Russell as the Test 10.

Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour is named on the bench with British and Irish Lion Will Stuart left out of the squad, while Bath’s Henry Arundell, whose last England appearance before a move to Racing 92 was at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, is the only backline cover among the replacements.

England have won eight of their nine meetings with Fiji, most recently prevailing 30-24 in a bruising quarter-final at France 2023.

Quilter Nations Series: England v Fiji

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 8 November Kick-off: 17:40 GMT

Fin Smith will start at fly-half against Fiji on Saturday, with Marcus Smith at full-back and regular captain Maro Itoje on the bench, as England head coach Steve Borthwick rotates through his combinations once more.

Chandler Cunningham-South, who can play at flanker and second row, will make his first Test start at number eight as Borthwick attempts to add depth in the position following Tom Willis’ decision to move to France at the end of the season and out of international eligibility.

Lawrence tore his Achilles tendon in the Six Nations win over Italy in March, but has made a faster-than-expected recovery after a rehabilitation, featuring hyperbaric chambers and red light therapy, which he documented on social media.

Northampton’s Alex Coles comes into the second row, with Itoje’s influence saved for the second half. Prop Ellis Genge, back in the starting line-up, will be the on-field captain from the start.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl, Cunningham-South

England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield admitted that frustration was inevitable among his trio of fly-halves.

“You don’t,” he told Rugby Union Weekly when asked how he managed to keep them all happy.

“But that is how it should be. At this level there is always someone who is a little disgruntled, who has maybe has a little bit of frustration.

“They are all impatient because they all want to play now, and want the shirt now, but an understanding of that is how it is different to their clubs – and their selflessness and putting the team first – is really important.

“Of course it takes some managing, but they are all good guys and understand the value of the team and that sometimes they are going to get bad news and have to work through it like everyone else.

“We have seen other nations be able to interchange who starts at 10 and done it very, very well. The quality of our 10s means we are able to do similar.”

Fin Smith, the youngest of the three fly-half options at 23, oversaw England’s successful end to last year’s Six Nations after being handed his first Test start in the wake of an opening-round defeat by Ireland.

With him at 10, England won their remaining four games to come second in the table, their highest finish since lifting the title in the Covid-affected 2020 tournament.

However Smith admitted he was disappointed by his form on the subsequent Lions tour, as he was unable to mount a serious challenge to Scotland’s Finn Russell as the Test 10.

Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour is named on the bench with British and Irish Lion Will Stuart left out of the squad, while Bath’s Henry Arundell, whose last England appearance before a move to Racing 92 was at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, is the only backline cover among the replacements.

England have won eight of their nine meetings with Fiji, most recently prevailing 30-24 in a bruising quarter-final at France 2023.

Joe Burgess will make his first international appearance for a decade after being named in the 19-man England squad for the final Ashes Test against Australia.

The 31-year-old Hull KR winger made the last of his three England appearances during the 2015 series against New Zealand.

Head coach Shaun Wane confirmed he will play against the Kangaroos at AMT Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.

Burgess’ return caps a remarkable 2025 season, in which he was a key part of Hull KR’s treble-winning campaign.

“It’s a credit to him, he has a new lease of life at Hull KR,” Wane said of a player he previously coached at Wigan Warriors. “I am so happy to be able to give him a start. That means something to me.”

Asked if he thought he would ever return to international rugby, Burgess said: “Yeah, if I knuckled down – I did it once, could do it again. Once you get to 31, you wonder if it is too late. But I knew I had potential to play again. That has always been the end goal.

“This has been the best year of my life, my first time winning Challenge Cup and Super League. Then being recalled back to England squad, it is an unbelievable year I still have not fully processed.”

England, who have lost the first two games in the three-match series, are without wing Dom Young, who has suffered a broken foot.

The Australia team, meanwhile, features only one change to the starting line-up, with captain Isaah Yeo returning to the XIII after missing the second Test having failed a head injury assessment.

It means Australia revert to the side picked for the first Test at Wembley, with Yeo going to loose forward, Patrick Carrigan switching back to the front row, and Lindsay Collins dropping to the bench.

England squad: AJ Brimson, Joe Burgess, Daryl Clark, Herbie Farnworth, Tom Johnstone, Mikey Lewis, Harry Newman, Mikolaj Oledzi, George Williams (capt), Harry Smith, Mike McMeeken, Jez Litten, Matty Lees, Kai Pearce-Paul, Kallum Watkins, Morgan Knowles, Owen Trout, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Smithies.

Australia XIII: Reece Walsh, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Kotoni Staggs, Gehamat Shibasaki, Josh Addo-Carr, Cameron Munster, Nathan Cleary, Patrick Carrigan, Harry Grant, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Angus Crichton, Hudson Young, Isaah Yeo (captain).

Interchanges: Tom Dearden, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, Keaon Koloamatangi.

Wane responded on Thursday to criticism Burgess has faced over historical social media activity.

In 2024, the winger reposted a comment on X by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Hull KR spoke to Burgess regarding his activity on social media at the time.

On Burgess, Wane said: “I like him – he is a personality and we need more of them, we are just guiding him in a certain way.

“I don’t think we should shackle him. I like him showing him personality. He is a good guy and meant no malice.”

Also returning to the England team is Harry Newman, who is in line for his first appearance of the series at the ground where he plays for Leeds Rhinos – which is sold out for the final Test.

Newman replaces Jake Wardle, while there is no spot for Jack Welsby, who was dropped following the first Test at Wembley.

It indicates Wane may shuffle his XIII and move Herbie Farnworth to his preferred left-centre position.

John Bateman also misses out with the ankle injury sustained in the build-up to the second Test at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Newman’s Rhinos team-mate Kallum Watkins is included again after earning his 30th England cap last Saturday.