Henry Pollock misses out on England XV to take on Springboks

Henry Pollock has missed out on Steve Borthwick’s starting XV to face South Africa on Saturday at Ellis Park in the opening round of the Nations Championship, having been selected on the bench, where he has been deployed for the majority of his Test career so far.

Leading into the match, the 21-year-old’s name has dominated headlines in the land of the world champions, where he has proven to be a divisive character.

While it may ostensibly appear Borthwick has removed the in-form Northampton Saints star from the firing line, it is more likely that he is attempting to replicate the XV that narrowly lost to France 48-46 at the end of the Guinness Six Nations this year. While there are some casualties from that evening in the French capital, there are equally a number of English stalwarts who have returned.

The front-row for England’s Parisian renaissance of Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Joe Heyes will remain intact, as will the centre pairing of Seb Atkinson and Tommy Freeman.

The absentees from the XV that were defeated in Paris are captain Maro Itoje, who has been granted a rest this July, Sam Underhill and Elliot Daly. The fit-again George Martin, who missed the Six Nations, will replace the British & Irish Lions skipper in the second-row, while George will take over the captaincy.

Fixture

Nations Championship

South Africa

08:40

4 Jul 26

England

All Stats and Data

In the back-row, Underhill, who recently underwent shoulder surgery, has been replaced by Tom Curry, who injured his calf in the warm-up to England’s defeat to Italy in round four of the Six Nations. He will partner Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl in the back-row, with the Leicester Tigers reprising his role as a flanker.

Another enforced change in the backline will see George Furbank start at full-back off the back of guiding Saints to the Gallagher PREM title. Furbank will put an injury-plagued 18 months behind him in Johannesburg when he runs out for his first cap since 2024. Daly, who started at the Stade de France in the No.15 jersey, is currently nursing a broken arm.

Furbank will partner his future Harlequins team-mate Cadan Murley in the back three, as well as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who missed the France meeting in March through injury. The Exeter Chiefs star will replace Tom Roebuck, who is out of the England squad for the time being.

The decision to start Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half appears to be an unenforced change, perhaps as Alex Mitchell only has one bench performance under his belt since coming back from a hamstring injury – albeit a 70-minute stint as a substitute in the PREM final. Mitchell will start on the bench as one of two back replacements with Marcus Smith.

“Playing South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the great Tests in world rugby and an opportunity we’re excited to embrace,” said Borthwick.

“We’ve prepared well since we arrived here last week and I sense a real excitement within the squad to get our Nations Championship campaign underway.”

England XV
15. George Furbank (Harlequins, 14 caps)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 27 caps)
12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, 4 caps)
11. Cadan Murley (Harlequins, 6 caps)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 16 caps)
9. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 24 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 80 caps) – vice-captain
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 110 caps) – captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)
4. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 19 caps)
5. George Martin (Saracens, 21 caps)
6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps) – vice-captain
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 68 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 51 caps)

Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 58 caps)
17. Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
18. Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
19. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 34 caps)
20. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
22. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 30 caps)
23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 50 caps)