- England coach Steve Borthwick has named his squad to face South Africa at Ellis Park, opting for Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, and Ben Earl in the back row, with Henry Pollock starting on the bench despite his recent Gallagher Prem final Player of the Match performance.
- Jamie George will captain the team in the absence of regular captain Maro Itoje, who is being rested, while Alex Coles and George Martin form the second row partnership.
- George Furbank is set to make his first England appearance since November 2024 at full-back, with Jack van Poortvliet partnering Fin Smith in the halves.
- Immanuel Feyi-Waboso starts on the wing, and Tommy Freeman continues at outside centre alongside Seb Atkinson, a combination that concluded the Six Nations campaign.
- England, currently on a run of four successive defeats following their worst-ever Six Nations, face a challenging task against the world champion Springboks, with Borthwick expressing excitement for the Nations Championship opener.
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