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The rookie prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour will make his England debut against Japan on Saturday after being named on the bench with Steve Borthwick making two changes to his starting XV, recalling Tom Curry and George Furbank.
As revealed by the Guardian, the 20-year-old Sale prop has been named in a matchday squad for the first time after impressing during England A’s victory over Australia A last week. Fin Smith is also among the replacements and set for a first outing of the autumn.
Opoku-Fordjour was only called into Borthwick’s squad after Joe Marler’s retirement earlier in the campaign but is tipped for a bright future having been part of the England under-20s side who won the junior World Cup over the summer.
The Sale front-rower has the rare ability to play both sides of the scrum and while England have predominantly seen him as a loosehead prop, he is covering tighthead on the bench on Sunday. He takes the place of Dan Cole, who is conspicuous by his absence and it remains to be seen whether the veteran Leicester Tiger has played his last match for England.
Curry’s return to the side was expected after he successfully came through the concussion return to play protocols but he lines up at blindside flanker with Sam Underhill continuing at openside after a fine display against South Africa. It means the Kamikaze Kids are reunited against Eddie Jones, who gave them that moniker in the buildup to the 2019 World Cup.
Borthwick has resisted major changes with Furbank returning to fullback the only other change to his starting XV as England look to break their five-match losing run on Jones’s first return to Twickenham as an international coach.
Jamie George again captains the side from hooker with Ellis Genge and Will Stuart continuing as the props. Maro Itoje and George Martin are the locks with Ben Earl joining Curry and Underhill in the back-row. Jack van Poortvliet keeps his place at scrum-half, joining Marcus Smith in the half-backs, while Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence start their 10th consecutive match together in midfield. Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme are on the wings.
Alongside Opoku-Fordjour and Fin Smith on the bench are Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Nick Isiekwe, Chandler Cunningham-South – who makes may to accommodate Curry – as well as Harry Randall and Tom Roebuck. George Ford, who was an unused replacement against South Africa, drops out of the matchday 23.
“We anticipate a tough challenge from a team that thrives on playing fast and with tempo,” said Borthwick. “Japan are a dangerous team so it’s important that we execute our game plan and maintain focus throughout the full 80 minutes.”
