England lose Feyi-Waboso and Curry for rest of Nations Championship
England have been dealt a severe double blow ahead of their upcoming fixtures after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry were ruled out for the remainder of the Nations Championship.
England have been dealt a severe double blow ahead of their upcoming sport fixtures after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry were ruled out for the remainder of the Nations Championship, according to tournament reporting.
Exeter wing Feyi-Waboso sustained an injury to his right ankle during the first half against Australia on Sunday, following a hip-drop tackle by Wallabies prop Angus Bell. The challenge resulted in a yellow card for Bell, while Feyi-Waboso initially attempted to play through the pain before being withdrawn at half-time. BBC reporting confirms that the 23-year-oid has now been ruled out of the rest of the tournament. The incident adds to a frustrating history of fitness setbacks for the explosive runner, who missed the Six Nations in 2025 after undergoing shoulder surgery and was absent from this year's edition with a hamstring injury.
Media additions
Meanwhile, experienced flanker Tom Curry has also been ruled out for the remainder of November. According to The Guardian, Curry suffered a hip injury during training the previous week and did not feature against Australia. His twin brother, Ben Curry, started at openside flanker against the Wallabies and excelled, but Steve Borthwick has revealed that, as he recently recovered from a long-term hamstring injury, he is likely to drop out of the side against Japan.
The casualty list extends further into the starting XV. Full-back George Furbank picked up a groin injury when starring on his first England appearance for two years, while Atkinson was withdrawn with a hip problem. Chessum has a shoulder injury. The Independent notes that Furbank, Chessum, and Atkinson are currently rehabbing in camp with the hope of returning to face New Zealand.
Borthwick admitted that the medical report necessitates more changes than he would have preferred ahead of a six-day turnaround.
"I don't want to make wholesale changes, but given the medical report, it's probably looking a few more than I would have liked"
Steve Borthwick, England head coach, via London Now
| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | Wing | Ankle | Out for remainder of Nations Championship |
| Tom Curry | Flanker | Hip | Out for remainder of November campaign |
| George Furbank | Full-back | Groin | Aims to return vs New Zealand |
| Ollie Chessum | Lock/Flanker | Shoulder | Aims to return vs New Zealand |
| Seb Atkinson | Centre | Hip | Aims to return vs New Zealand |
To cover the mounting absentees, Borthwick has drafted Newcastle uncapped flanker Max Hicks and Harlequins’ Jack Kenningham into the 36-man training squad. Hicks has represented New Zealand Māori but qualifies for England through his Cornish grandmother. Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland is fit and may make his debut against Japan, while Tobias Elliott of Saracens has been called up and Cadan Murley and Noah Caluori are other options, alongside Joe Marchant and Will Joseph.
In the midfield, the absence of Atkinson opens the door for Fraser Dingwall or Max Ojomoh. The Straits Times highlights that Ojomoh earned praise following a standout performance for England A against an Argentina XV. Borthwick described Dingwall as a glue player who makes those around him better, while noting Ojomoh's superior attacking distribution and vision.
Henry Pollock provided a dramatic glimpse of his versatility on Sunday by shifting to the wing from the back row in place of Feyi-Waboso, scoring two tries. Sky Sports reports that while Borthwick praised the 21-year-old's cameo out wide, the head coach intends to deploy him in the forward pack against Japan to compensate for back-row rotation.
Standing in England's path this weekend is a Japan side coached by Eddie Jones, who was England head coach from 2016 to 2022. Jones has promised to test his former employers with tactical surprises following the Brave Blossoms' opening defeat against Wales on Saturday. Borthwick paid tribute to his former mentor, calling Jones an exceptionally accomplished coach who will undoubtedly attempt to derail England's momentum.
England will host Japan on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 4:40 pm GMT. Following the fixture against the Brave Blossoms, England will face New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday, as Borthwick's heavily revised squad attempts to navigate the remainder of the autumn campaign.
