England's Nations Championship campaign has been dealt a significant blow with the news that wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the remainder of the tournament due to an ankle injury. The 23-year-old sustained the injury in the first half of England's impressive 45-22 victory over Australia on Sunday, following a controversial 'hip-drop' tackle by Wallabies prop Angus Bell, who was subsequently yellow-carded.
Feyi-Waboso, who has become a key figure for England since his debut in early 2024, has been plagued by injuries. He missed the 2025 Six Nations after shoulder surgery and was absent from this year's edition with a hamstring issue. His latest setback comes just as he was finding form, having been one of England's standout performers in the July leg of the Nations Championship.
England's Injury Woes Mount
The bad news doesn't end there for head coach Steve Borthwick. England will also be without several other key players for Saturday's match against Japan at Twickenham. Centre Seb Atkinson (hip), forward Ollie Chessum (shoulder), and full-back George Furbank (groin) have all been ruled out. In a further blow, experienced flanker Tom Curry will not feature this autumn after feeling discomfort in his hip.
To fill the gaps, Borthwick has called up uncapped Newcastle flanker Max Hicks and Harlequins' Jack Kenningham to the 36-man squad. Scrum-half Archie McParland, centre Max Ojomoh, and wings Noah Calouri and Tobias Elliott have also been included.
Silver Lining in Victory over Australia
The injury update has somewhat overshadowed England's best performance of the year, a seven-try demolition of the Wallabies. Feyi-Waboso was instrumental in that win, forming a potent back three with Furbank and Tommy Freeman. However, his departure in the 32nd minute forced a reshuffle, with flanker Henry Pollock filling in on the wing after halftime.
With Atkinson out, Borthwick must reconfigure his centre pairing, with Fraser Dingwall or Max Ojomoh likely to step in at inside-centre. Furbank's absence at full-back is also a concern, though there is hope that he, Atkinson, and Chessum could return for the clash with New Zealand on 21 November.
England's depth will be tested as they navigate a challenging schedule. After Japan, they face the in-form All Blacks at Allianz Stadium, before the finals weekend from 27-29 November. Borthwick will be hoping his squad can maintain the momentum from the Australia win despite the mounting injury list.
