ENGLAND COACH STEVE Borthwick insisted he was taking no risks in recalling Tom Curry to face Japan at Twickenham just a fortnight after the dynamic flanker was knocked out against Australia, his fifth concussion in two years.

Curry’s return at blindside flanker on Sunday is one of only two changes to the side beaten 29-20 by world champions South Africa last weekend, with George Furbank returning at full-back as England look to end a run of five straight defeats.

Curry missed last week’s loss to the Springboks after he was concussed tackling Australia’s Rob Valetini during the 23rd minute of England’s 42-37 defeat by the Wallabies at Twickenham on 9 November.

It was the 26-year-old’s second major head injury of the season after he was also removed from a club match for Sale in September.

The tough-tackling Curry was once dubbed a “kamikaze kid” along with fellow back-row Sam Underhill by Japan boss Eddie Jones when the Australian coach was in charge of England.

The England duo will both start on Sunday after Curry got the nod over the benched Chandler Cunningham-South.

Concussion has become a major issue in rugby union, with several leading former players taking legal action against governing bodies they allege failed to take reasonable action to protect them from permanent injury.

But Borthwick, speaking after naming his side on Friday, said: “There are stringent measures in terms of the players’ return to play.

“The welfare and health of players is paramount. He (Curry) has gone through all those protocols, a number of different consultations, independent specialist consultations.

“He feels great, he’s raring to go.”

Furbank has returned in place of Freddie Steward, recalled against South Africa for his ability under the high ball, but now dropped completely from the matchday 23.

“We want to do some different things in the way we attack this week, hence the selection at full-back,” said Borthwick.

He added: “Japan want to play fast but we want to play fast.”

England’s five-game losing streak is their worst sequence of results since 2018 — when Jones was in charge.

Japan were the last side beaten by England, with Borthwick’s men cruising to a 52-17 win in Tokyo in June.

Asher Opoku-Fordjour, a member of the England U20 team that won this year’s junior world cup, is set to make his Test debut off the bench by providing cover at tighthead prop

Veteran out-half George Ford has also been dropped from the replacements, with Fin Smith backing-up Marcus Smith.

Although they beat Uruguay in France last week, Japan were thrashed 52-12 by France and 64-19 by New Zealand before that.

Borthwick, however, was an assistant coach under Jones with Japan when they stunned South Africa at the 2015 World Cup,

Although Japan have yet to beat England, with his current side now in need of a win, Borthwick has decided against wholesale changes for what appears the ‘easiest’ of the team’s four November internationals.

“I’ve talked at length about the need for continuity as one element of selection,” he said. “I think this (Opoku-Fordjour) is the ninth new cap in 12 Test matches.”

Borthwick added: “I’d say there’s been a lot of transition through this year already.”

Defeat by South Africa meant England had lost three home games in a row for the first time since 2006.

But Borthwick was adamant England were heading in the right direction, saying: “Not delivering the final blow is certainly something we’re disappointed and frustrated about, but many of the things have been working very well to get into those positions.”

Elsewhere, Jamie Ritchie, the former Scotland captain, will make his first start of the November international series after being selected for Sunday’s match at home to Australia.

The Edinburgh flanker, deposed as both skipper and regular starter this year, returns after Glasgow back-row Jack Dempsey was ruled out with an injury sustained in a defeat by world champions South Africa a fortnight ago.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has selected what appears to be his strongest available XV as the Dark Blues go in search of a major scalp in their final Test of the year after pushing the Springboks hard before losing 32-15 at Murrayfield.

Scott Cummings returns to the second-row after a one-match ban, while Townsend can field his preferred back three of Blair Kinghorn at full-back and Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe on the wings for the first time since last year’s World Cup.

Glasgow’s Tom Jordan, who has impressed at full-back, drops to the bench as part of a 5-3 split between forwards and backs. 

ENGLAND (v Japan): George Furbank; Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme; Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (capt), Will Stuart; Maro Itoje; George Martin; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl. 

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Nick Isiekwe, Chandler Cunningham-South, Harry Randall, Fin Smith, Tom Roebuck.

SCOTLAND (v Australia): Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson; Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: Dylan Richardson, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Alex Craig, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe.

– © AFP 2024