England are set to hand debuts to centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and winger Noah Caluori in their upcoming match against Fiji. Janse van Rensburg, who recently qualified to play for England through residency, was named among the replacements for the fixture scheduled at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Bristol Bears teammate George Kloska is also poised to win his first cap off the bench.
Caluori, a 19-year-old winger who led the Gallagher Premiership in try-scoring last season, will come off the bench as well. Despite his outstanding form, head coach Steve Borthwick has opted not to start the youngster. Instead, veteran Henry Slade, rewarded for his strong performances with Exeter, will start in the centre position. Tommy Freeman will switch to the wing to accommodate this arrangement.
The starting back row sees Guy Pepper come into the lineup, with England captain Tom Curry moving to the bench. Marcus Smith will continue at full-back, maintaining his position from previous matches.
England enter the game following a Nations Championship loss to South Africa at Ellis Park last week. The defeat extended their losing streak to five consecutive Tests, a run not seen since 2006. The team will be aiming to halt that sequence and regain momentum in the competition.
