Ben Spencer and Harry Randall have been called into the England squad for this month’s Nations Championship. The duo, who hold 19 and 14 international caps respectively, join the setup after injuries ruled out Northampton Saints scrum-halves Alex Mitchell and Archie McParland ahead of Sunday’s match against Australia.
Mitchell suffered a hamstring injury during the Saints’ victory over Gloucester last Saturday. The 29-year-old is scheduled for a scan on Monday to determine the severity of the issue and the length of his recovery. This latest setback marks the fourth time this year the player has dealt with a hamstring complaint.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old prospect McParland picked up a calf injury during a training camp last week. Despite this, he could remain in consideration for upcoming fixtures against Japan and New Zealand on 14 and 21 November, respectively. McParland previously missed out on a July tour due to a severe leg injury sustained in the Premiership final.
Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet, who started all three of England’s summer Tests, is expected to maintain his position as the primary scrum-half. The squad is also navigating potential uncertainty at fly-half, as first-choice Fin Smith manages a calf issue, forcing Marcus Smith and George Ford to potentially deputize.
Changes have also occurred in the hooker rotation. Saracens’ Theo Dan has secured the third spot, having outperformed Nathan Jibulu, Jamie Blamire, and Gabriel Oghre for the position. Dan replaces Bath’s Kepu Tuipulotu, who suffered an injury during last week’s three-day training camp.
The midfield remains a focal point for selection, featuring the return of Sale’s Joe Marchant following three seasons in France and Gloucester’s Will Joseph, who earned his only previous cap in 2022. Conversely, Bath’s Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh, who both featured heavily during last year’s series, have been omitted, as has 20-year-old Saracens wing Noah Caluori. Who won his solitary previous cap back in 2022, and Sale’s Joe Marchant, who has returned to eligibility after three seasons playing in Franc, midfield is the area of most selection intrigue with Gloucester’s Will Joseph. Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Jamie George (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton.
Positive injury news includes the return of Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson and Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, both of whom have successfully navigated their respective comebacks at the club level over the weekend.
Following the upcoming clashes with Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, England will contest a fourth match against an undecided southern hemisphere opponent during the final play-off weekend of the new Nations Championship format.
The match against Australia is scheduled for Sunday, 8 November, at 15:10 GMT, with live coverage available via Sport platform and Sports Extra.
