England Squad Announcement for Nations Championship Opener
George Furbank will feature in England's starting lineup for the first time in almost two years this Saturday as they take on South Africa in the opening match of the Nations Championship in Johannesburg. This significant return marks his 15th cap for England.
Key Selections and Team Composition
Furbank will join Cadan Murley and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in the back three. The midfield will see Tommy Freeman partnering with Seb Atkinson. In the forward pack, George Martin earns his first England start since the 2025 Six Nations, forming the second row alongside Alex Coles, while Ollie Chessum will play on the blindside flank. Promising talent Henry Pollock, who recently earned back-to-back man-of-the-match awards during Northampton's Premiership title win, is listed among the replacements.
Head coach Steve Borthwick expressed anticipation for the challenge, stating, "Playing South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the great Tests in world rugby and an opportunity we're excited to embrace."
With regular captain Maro Itoje rested for the tour, Jamie George will lead the team from the hooker position, anchoring an experienced front row with props Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes. The back row will comprise Ben Earl and Tom Curry. Jack van Poortvliet will be at scrum-half, partnering with fly-half Fin Smith.
England Starting XV:
- Backs: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Van Poortvliet
- Forwards: Genge, George, Heyes, Coles, Martin, Chessum, Curry, Earl
Replacements:
- Cowan-Dickie, Obano, Opoku-Fordjour, Ewels, Pepper, Pollock, Mitchell, M Smith
The match between South Africa and England is scheduled for Saturday, July 4th, at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Coverage will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app.
Furbank's Path to Return
Furbank showcased strong form at full-back throughout 2024 but encountered a series of injuries following his last appearance against Japan in November of that year. Despite these setbacks, he regained peak performance towards the end of the recent Premiership season, playing a crucial role in Northampton's league title victory before his move to Harlequins.
For Cadan Murley, a new club-mate of Furbank's, Saturday's game presents an opportunity to compete against top international players, including double World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe on the opposing wing.
Murley shared his thoughts on facing Kolbe, commenting to BBC Sport, "Cheslin Kolbe has probably been the standout winger since that 2019 World Cup to be honest. And he has actually been someone I have looked at a lot in terms of his aerial game because he's not the tallest and he's not the biggest. It will be a good challenge going up against him." He added, "Playing the champs in their own back yard - it's a massive challenge but an exciting one. They are the team that have dominated world rugby for a long time."
Source: Original Article
