Immanuel Feyi-Waboso banned? Six wing options Steve Borthwick could turn to for summer tour as ‘X-factor’ back primed for Test return

England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is facing the prospect of missing the summer tour to the Americas following his red card against France XV on Saturday. 

The Exeter Chiefs ace, who was making his first appearance in six months following a dislocated shoulder, was initially shown a yellow card in the 33rd minute of England XV’s 26-24 defeat to Les Bleus, but it was soon upgraded to a red card after a foul play bunker review.

Feyi-Waboso now faces a nervy wait to see if he can feature in England’s two-Test series against Los Pumas and the standalone Test against the USA – or even the British and Irish Lions tour should Andy Farrell come calling.

“There’s a process in place which starts tomorrow morning [Sunday], so we will get an early indication,” explained England boss Steve Borthwick. “We should know before Tuesday (when England fly to Argentina).

“I’m not going to comment on it. The officials made a decision on the day and we’ll see what the disciplinary comes back with.”

If Feyi-Waboso misses the upcoming tour, Borthwick would need to draft in a replacement but who will he turn to? With that thought in mind, here is our take on the leading contenders to come into the England touring squad.

• DISCLAIMER: ONLY PLAYERS OUTSIDE THE CURRENT 36-MAN SQUAD ARE INCLUDED IN THIS LIST, SO CADAN MURLEY, TOM ROEBUCK, WILL MUIR, FREDDIE STEWARD AND OSCAR BEARD ARE NOT MENTIONED

Front-runner: Henry Arundell

Given he has already spent time with the England squad this month, you would expect Arundell will be the first name in Borthwick’s mind should Feyi-Waboso miss the tour.

The Bath-bound back’s return to the training squad caused a stir, given he has spent the past two seasons in the Top 14 with Racing 92, but he is an explosive, athletic player who would certainly add some X-factor to the team.

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He has also impressed at Test level in his 10 caps, notably scoring with his very first touch against the Wallabies in 2022 and later notching five tries against Chile in the Rugby World Cup. That strike rate will impress Borthwick now that he is eligible for selection again.

While Arundell has spent the bulk of his career out wide, he also offers versatility at full-back, which is another big tick in his box.

In the mix: Ollie Hassell-Collins, Adam Radwan

The Premiership’s two form wingers will also likely be high on the list for Borthwick. The pair’s involvement with the Tigers in their run to the league final meant they couldn’t be called in for the first two training squads, but their omission from last week’s selection caused a stir among fans.

Both players were in superb form in the back end of the domestic season, with Hassell-Collins scoring seven tries in Leicester’s final seven games and Radwan posting eight tries in his final six appearances of the campaign. Both would only add to the overall England attack as a result.

They would also offer two different skillsets, with Hassell-Collins adding yet another aerial threat while Radwan would add that sort of elusive, powerful running threat that Feyi-Waboso offers. Either way, that would again only benefit this England side.

You’d imagine only one of them would get the call, but either one would deserve it.

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Outside bets: Gabriel Ibitoye, Joe Cokanasiga

Just underneath that pair are Bristol’s Ibitoye and Bath’s Cokanasiga, but again, they have been in great form throughout the domestic season.

Ibitoye has been one of the premier attacking threats in the Bears’ side, be it with his pace, ball-in-hand or his basketball-esque offloads. Crucially, he has dipped in and out of the senior England squad this season too. His desire to play attacking rugby is often seen as not meeting the style of Test rugby, but he is a delight to watch and would add something genuinely different to this team.

Bath counterpart Cokanasiga has had a taste of Test rugby, but his club transformation under Johann van Graan could finally see him deliver on his potential at the highest level. He has really stepped up his game this season, becoming a crucial part of Bath’s attack in the process with both his carrying and aerial work. Cokanasiga was also involved on the 2017 tour, so he knows exactly the challenge of playing in Argentina.

Bolter: Paul Brown-Bampoe

The dream is back on for Exeter’s Brown-Bampoe, who has had an extraordinary first season as a professional. The winger, who spent time on loan at National One side Plymouth Albion in November, really took the chance afforded to him through the Premiership Cup block and later in the Champions Cup and Premiership. That form has led to genuine shouts for him to be involved in the England squad.

He is still incredibly raw, but despite Exeter’s woes this season, he has developed all aspects of his game really nicely. Importantly, he now has all the hallmarks of a genuine Test player. This could be a great chance to bring him into the England environment and fast-track his progress.

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