No Itoje as Borthwick hands Janse van Rensburg an England shot
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Steve Borthwick has made some bold calls as he revealed his 36-player squad for the inaugural Nations Championship.
Borthwick has included South Africa-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg as one of five uncapped players in the squad.
Saracens winger Noah Caluori, Exeter back-row Greg Fisilau, and props George Kloska and Vilikesa Sela are the other new faces in the set-up.
Despite making the cut, Janse van Rensburg will not feature in the Nations Championship opener against South Africa at Ellis Park because he will only be eligible for selection on July 8, four days after the fixture on July 4.
Borthwick also decided to rest captain Maro Itoje for the series, with Jamie George set to lead the side in their fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.
George captained England for 12 Tests in 2024 before Itoje took over.
*Article continues below….
England will train at England’s Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park until Wednesday before departing for South Africa.
England will then return for an ‘away’ fixture against Fiji at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool before travelling to Argentina to face Los Pumas at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero in Round 3.
“We’ve selected a squad with a good blend of experience and emerging talent,” said Borthwick.
“The Nations Championship presents an exciting challenge for this group. We will face strong opposition in demanding environments, with extensive travel and changes in climate all testing the squad throughout the tournament.
“I am sure that by preparing well and continuing to demand the highest standards from one another every day, we will be well placed to meet the challenge of a very demanding schedule.”
England:
Forwards:
Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Ben Earl, Charlie Ewels, Greg Fisilau, Ellis Genge, Jamie George (captain), Joe Heyes, Ted Hill, George Kloska, George Martin, Beno Obano, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Vilikesa Sela
Backs:
Seb Atkinson, Noah Caluori, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Alex Mitchell, Cadan Murley, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward, Jack van Poortvliet
