Immanuel Feyi-Waboso out! Seven wingers Steve Borthwick could turn to fill the breakout star’s void for the Six Nations
From left to right: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Cadan Murley and Tom Roebuck
Steve Borthwick has been dealt another major injury blow in his back-three ahead of the Six Nations, with Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso set to miss the entire Championship.
The winger – who made his England debut in the 2024 edition – dislocated his shoulder during the Chiefs’ Premiership clash with Sale Sharks, and the club have confirmed he will now undergo surgery.
A club statement read: “Having suffered a dislocated shoulder against Sale Sharks in a Gallagher Premiership match pre-Christmas, the international winger is discussing recovery options with the England Rugby and Exeter Chiefs medical teams.”
This also comes just after star fullback George Furbank was also ruled out for a shoulder knock picked up in Northampton Saints’ Champions Cup win over the Bulls.
But, with Feyi-Waboso now all-but out of contention for the Six Nations, Borthwick must turn to a new option in his number 14 shirt, either from within his usual squad or one of the many form wingers in the Premiership right now.
Here is a full breakdown of the possible options Borthwick could deploy on the wing this Six Nations.
Tom Roebuck
With Feyi-Waboso now out of the picture, this could be Tom Roebuck’s chance in the England starting XV. The Sale Sharks man has been in career-best form so far this season, with seven tries in his 10 appearances to date, and has potentially been their main attacking threat all season.
His aerial ability really compliments that of Tommy Freeman – who should occupy the number 11 shirt this Championship – and he also has that game-breaking ability which could come in handy too. He also gave a very good account of himself off the bench against Japan in the Autumn, notching a fine try.
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Ollie Sleightholme
Northampton’s Ollie Sleightholme deputised brilliantly for Feyi-Waboso this Autumn after his concussion, and there’s no reason he couldn’t do it again in the Six Nations. Sleightholme plays a very similar style to that of the Exeter winger, in that he often comes off his wing to look for work, and that is clearly something Borthwick wants from his wingers.
He has picked up an untimely hamstring issue though – which will likely rule him out of Northampton’s Champions Cup clash with Stade Francais – but he should be back up and running for the Six Nations.
Cadan Murley
One man who will be hoping for a phone call from Borthwick ahead of the Six Nations will be Harlequins’ Cadan Murley, who is probably the front-runner to take Feyi-Waboso’s spot in the wider squad.
Since returning from an early season hamstring injury, Murley has been in brilliant scoring touch for Quins this season with seven efforts from his nine outings in the quarters, which is just the thing England need in their backline. He also boasts genuinely frightening pace too, which is another big tick in his box.
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Ollie Hassell-Collins
Borthwick’s forgotten man could be in line for a return to the Test picture this Six Nations. Hassell-Collins has been in great touch for the Tigers this year and has clearly taken a big step towards the form that saw him capped by Eddie Jones in 2022.
The Leicester man is also very impressive in the air, which again would complement the likes of Roebuck and Freeman – and his size and speed makes him a real handful for opposition defenders.
Tommy Wyatt
A potential bold call, but Exeter’s Tommy Wyatt has really impressed so far this season despite his team’s lacklustre form and could be a great option to replace his clubmate.
Wyatt’s mazy running and ability to beat defenders in multiple different ways makes him a serious weapon in attack, and he has also hit serious try-scoring form in recent weeks too with braces against Toulouse and Leicester.
Another big tick in his box is his versatility, as he can also slot in at 15 too – which is possibly his best position – and he could easily come in to replace Furbank too.
Injured contingent
Whilst the focus will be on the five names above – given they are all fully fit at the time of writing – there are a couple of players currently sidelined who might stick their hand upon their return.
Bristol’s Gabriel Ibitoye has been in red-hot form all season and impressed on England A duty in November.
Will Muir has also hit a purple patch in recent weeks and could be a good addition to Borthwick’s squad should he hit the ground running on his return.
