England rugby players face a whirlwind schedule, moving from South Africa to Surrey and then to South America, but their focus is on Saturday's Nations Championship match against Fiji at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. The squad is determined to bounce back after a demoralising 45-21 defeat to the Springboks in Johannesburg last weekend.
Janse van Rensburg Set for International Debut
Newly-qualified centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg is expected to be named in the starting lineup when Steve Borthwick confirms the team on Thursday. The South Africa-born player brings an all-court game, according to defence coach Richard Wigglesworth. “He brings an all-court game, doesn’t he? I enjoy how he wants to hit and loves the physical side of the game, but he also wants the ball on the other side. If he gets a chance I’m sure that’s what he’ll show us as well,” Wigglesworth said.
Injury Updates and Squad Changes
England will be without injured duo Beno Obano (hamstring) and Cadan Murley (shoulder). They have been replaced by Manny Iyogun and Chandler Cunningham-South, respectively. Freddie Steward is available for selection after returning to the squad. Jamie George is set to continue as captain, with Borthwick opting against heavy rotation despite the long season. The team is determined to avoid a sixth consecutive Test defeat.
Wigglesworth Highlights Key Areas for Improvement
Wigglesworth, a former international scrum-half from Lancashire, is looking forward to playing in the north-west but stressed the need for improvement. He identified contestable kicking, accuracy, and decision-making as key areas, especially against a dangerous Fiji side that capitalises on errors. “There was a lot of effort and endeavour [against South Africa]. But for 10 minutes at the start of each half we weren’t good enough, and a good team exposes that. They were very accurate and we weren’t, and they ended up with all the possession and momentum. The middle part of the match didn’t look like that, but it’s an 80-minute game,” he said.
Discipline and Lessons from South Africa Defeat
The management is focused on reducing the penalty count and avoiding yellow cards, after Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper were sin-binned in Johannesburg. Wigglesworth acknowledged the fine margins in Test rugby: “In the Six Nations there was some breakdown decision making that is going to cost you in a Test match. These ones [against South Africa] were high force, high speed. It’s split-second stuff. These are the lessons that as a young team, as individuals, you have to remember.” He stressed the importance of support over criticism, saying, “They need support and good coaching. Is that a prod sometimes? Absolutely, but sometimes it’s an arm around the shoulder. Our job as coaches is to give them what they need, not what we want.”
