by Steve Borthwick has confirmed his interest in picking up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for England ahead of Wales, revealing he has contacted the Cardiff-born Exeter Chiefs winger after the 21-year-old’s sparkling start to the season age.
Borthwick, the England head coach, also revealed that full-back Ethan Roots, another influential figure in Exeter’s recent success, was claiming the Six Nations squad to be named in a fortnight’s time.
New Zealand-born Roots is a rugged tackler who represented the Crusaders before arriving at Sand Park for two years at the Ospreys. The 24-year-old qualifies for England selection through his father.
Greg Fisilau, a former England Under-20 international, is the third potential fixer to have caught Borthwick’s eye. Still 20, the versatile Fisilau is also a talented open side, still at the bottom of Exeter’s scrum. He has put together a string of impressive performances there, in home games and in the Champions Cup against Toulon and Munster. Fisilau, Roots and Feyi-Waboso are being recognized for their roles in a confident Chiefs team that has overcome its lack of experience.
Tommy Freeman, who was influential in Northampton Saints’ rise to the top of the Premiership, was another recommendation from the England head coach, as was Henry Slade. A reset is needed after the World Cup as Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Jonny May have retired from Test rugby, with Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi and Tom Curry among the contingent of senior players who will be absent for the beginning of the Six. Nations at least.
On a more positive note, Dan Cole will be available for Borthwick for the Six Nations and has been heartbroken by the World Cup efforts of Maro Itoje, Ben Earl and Alex Mitchell. There is scope, however, to introduce fresh faces among the more experienced names.
“When you look at all these Premier League and European games, the top young players are starting to emerge, young players who are really pushing their case,” Borthwick said.
“The likes of Fisilau at Exeter, Feyi-Waboso at Exeter, just to name a few, those guys are great. Pointless talking about Exeter, the way Ethan Roots is playing [is also impressive].
“There have been players who have missed out on World Cup selection who have dealt with it in a way that has been fantastic, like Tommy Freeman, a centre-back [and] wing
“Sladey, he was unlucky to miss out on those 33 finals, and the way he was playing, he was great. Then you have the guys who came back from the World Cup, the England guys have played a lot.
“Maro is playing well, Ben Earl is back from injury and it’s great to see him back on the pitch. The way Alex Mitchell has been playing, there is a lot of competition for places at the moment.”
Feyi-Waboso, like Fisilau, joined Exeter after Wasps’ relegation in 2022. He is a Cardiff academy graduate who traded Wales for the West Midlands to pursue his medical studies , he had no attack and was aggressive in defence. He was particularly influential in a 24-14 win against the Bristol Bears on Friday evening. Warren Gatland could still scupper Borthwick, of course, by naming Feyi-Waboso in the Wales squad, which will be revealed a day earlier than England on January 16. That said, Borthwick appears to have made an approach without delay.
“I’ve been chatting to those two players, yes,” Borthwick said of Feyi-Waboso and Roots. “I name a [Six Nations] squad on January 17 and what the players have to do is play well and earn their place in the selection. It’s a competitive mix.
“When we look at the Premier Division now, there are a lot of teams playing well, a lot of teams are competing. Obviously I have a breakdown of all the team and individual performances and how everyone is playing, but the weekend also has the biggest attendance, the viewing numbers are up.
“We are witnessing a competitive league with a number of teams fighting for the top four. It’s a good competition. We see how well the teams fared in the first two rounds of Europe. I’ve seen a lot of good performances.”
Loosehead prop is one position that could cause significant headaches ahead of England’s meeting with Italy on February 3. Mako Vunipola is suspended for four games following a red card against Newcastle Falcons, while Ellis Genge , Joe Marler and Bevan Rodd all nursing injuries. different intensity. Borthwick, however, believes there is a talented group of front-runners in the pecking order below that.
“To go through the three at the World Cup, Ellis, Joe and Bev, Bev won’t be appearing in the Six Nations,” said Borthwick. “He’s injured, so he’s not available. Ellis is currently recovering from a hamstring injury. He gets more investigations in a week, so we’ll have a clearer picture of how the treatment went. It is expected to be very close to the start of the Six Nations. When exactly I won’t know for another week or two, but it will be very soon in the Six Nations is the plan, all being well.
“Joe got hurt here [at Twickenham, playing for Harlequins against Gloucester], hand injury, Saturday night. I spoke to Joe yesterday and that’s ongoing right now, it’s not clear what exactly and how much time he’ll miss. We are hopeful that it will be available but that has yet to be determined.
“Behind that, Beno Obano is playing well at Bath, in terms of alternatives. Fin Baxter for Harlequins is playing well. Joe speaks loudly. The players, the really good players, know who is another potential player to come through. Talk to Joe, he speaks positively about Fin Baxter and his potential.
“You see Tarek [Haffar] at Northampton after being injured and coming back to play well. Some good young props, [Phil] Brantingham up at Newcastle, he’s a good young prop. There are obviously less experienced and younger players, but people are playing well.”
Feyi-Waboso league leadership statistics
