Janse van Rensburg gets England shot
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Junior Springbok Benhard Janse van Rensburg will have his first taste in England colours after being named on the bench for the England XV side to tackle France XV at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes on Friday.
Janse van Rensburg was granted special clearance in November 2025 to switch allegiances after representing the Junior Boks briefly off the bench as a late replacement in the squad back in 2016.
At the point in time, Junior Bok representation was seen as the ‘second team’ to the Springboks.
George Ford is named captain and will lead a side featuring a blend of experienced internationals and players looking to strengthen their claims for future England Test selection.
Starting debutants include Saracens winger Noah Caluori and Bristol Bears tighthead prop George Kloska.
On the bench joining Janse van Rensburg are two fellow debutants in Bath tighthead prop Billy Sela and Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham.
The fixture forms an important part of England’s preparations ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship, which kicks off in July.
“We’re looking forward to an exciting challenge against a strong French team in what will be a demanding fixture,” said Borthwick.
“I’m eager to see this group get out there and show what they’re capable of. It’s a great opportunity to keep developing our game in the lead-up to the forthcoming Nations Championship.”
Friday’s non-capped fixture, which does not include players involved in the PREM Final, will be shown live on RugbyPass TV.
Following the match in Vannes, England begin their Nations Championship campaign against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday 4 July, followed by matches against Fiji and Argentina.
England XV: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Noah Caluori, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 George Ford (c), 9 Harry Randall, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ted Hill, 5 George Martin, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 George Kloska, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour
Replacements: 16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Jack Kenningham, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Adam Radwan
Date: Friday, June 19
Venue: Stade de la Rabine, Vannes
Kick-off: 16.15 CEST (15.15 BST; 14.15 GMT)
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Ben Breakspear (Wales)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)