Jack van Poortvliet has won the race at scrum-half to start England’s Nations Championship opener against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Van Poortvliet has edged Alex Mitchell, who features on the bench, and Ben Spencer to partner Fin Smith at half-back in what will be his first start since facing the USA in July 2025.
Mitchell was previously the first choice in the position but only made his comeback from a hamstring injury in Northampton’s Gallagher Prem final victory over Exeter last month.
Spencer featured in the narrow defeat by France in the climax to the Six Nations but has been carrying an undisclosed niggle, while head coach Steve Borthwick has also highlighted his workload at Bath this season.
Having missed the entire Championship because of a torn hamstring, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is restored to the right wing in a major boost for England’s chances of upsetting the Springboks.
Exeter’s Feyi-Waboso sustained a broken jaw against Leicester at the end of May but also returned in the Prem final to prove his fitness for the first of England’s three Tests this month.
Cadan Murley fills the other wing and full-back George Furbank completes the back three in his first England appearance since November 2024, putting behind him a challenging series of injuries.
Borthwick’s experiment of playing Tommy Freeman at outside continues with the Northampton flyer forging a midfield partner alongside Seb Atkinson.
Henry Pollock’s stellar form for Northampton in the knockout phase of their title run is unable to win him a place in the starting pack, but the back row who has been cast as the pantomime villain in South Africa is present on the bench.
Borthwick deploys his strongest available front row of Ellis Genge, captain Jamie George and Joe Hayes against the Springboks while blindside flanker Ollie Chessum is named vice-captain for the first time.
England, who have rested captain Maro Itoje for the July tour, have defeated the Springboks in Johannesburg just once before – in 1972.
“Playing South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the great Tests in world rugby and an opportunity we’re excited to embrace,” Borthwick said.
“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 Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 2, 2026
England team to play South Africa in Nations Championship
Forwards: 1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), 2 Jamie George (CAPTAIN, Saracens), 3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), 4 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), 5 George Martin (Leicester Tigers), 6 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 8 Ben Earl (Saracens)
Backs: 9 Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), 11 Cadan Murley (Harlequins), 12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), 13 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), 15 George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), 17 Beno Obano (Bath Rugby), 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), 19 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), 20 Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), 21 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), 22 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), 23 Marcus Smith (Harlequins)