England to unleash South African midfielder against Fiji
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his team to face Fiji in Round Two of the Nations Championship at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on Saturday.
South African Benhard Janse van Rensburg is one of three uncapped players on the bench. The others are George Kloska and Noah Caluori.
Van Rensburg became eligible to represent England on July 8.
Meanwhile, there are two personnel changes to the starting XV which faced South Africa in Johannesburg last weekend, with Henry Slade and Guy Pepper coming into the side.
Jamie George will captain the side, with Ollie Chessum and Ellis Genge serving as vice-captains.
“We’ve had a really positive week of preparation, and the players have worked hard in training,” said Borthwick.
“We know Fiji will provide a tough challenge. They are a dangerous side who will demand the very best from us.
“It’s fantastic to be playing at Hill Dickinson Stadium, which is an outstanding venue. There is a real passion for rugby across the north of England, and we’re looking forward to experiencing a brilliant atmosphere in Liverpool.”
Following the match, England will travel to Argentina to face Los Pumas at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero, in Round Three.
England: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 George Martin, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (captain), 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 18 George Kloska, 19 Tom Curry, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Noah Caluori.
Date: Saturday, July 11
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Kick-off: 14.10 (13.10 GMT; 01.10 FJT Sunday, July 12)
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Register your interest to receive priority updates on RWC27 ticket releases. Don't miss out, stay in the loop!