England have given starts to Henry Slade and Guy Pepper as the only two changes made for Saturday’s clash with Fiji at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
In an indication of the importance of the match to halt a five-Test losing run, head coach Steve Borthwick has opted against rotating his team for the weakest opponents of the July tour.
Slade comes in at outside centre as Tommy Freeman moves to the right wing, after Cadan Murley was ruled out of the remainder of the opening phase of the Nations Championship because of a shoulder injury.
Pepper is the only new face up front in a direct swap with Tom Curry at openside, with Curry dropping to the bench.
South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg, wing Noah Caluori and prop George Kloska are poised to make their Test debuts after being picked among the replacements.
England’s 45-21 rout by South Africa at Ellis Park last Saturday has turned Saturday’s Liverpool collision into a must-win encounter as pressure builds on Borthwick, who is now 46 games into his reign.
Borthwick fields his strongest available backline against dangerous Fiji with veteran Slade rewarded after making an impression off the bench against the Springboks and for his stellar season at Exeter.
Freeman’s move back to the wing where he is a world-class threat signals a pause to the experiment of playing him in the number 13 jersey.
Marcus Smith continues at full-back after being a late addition to the team against South Africa once George Furbank was ruled out of the remainder of the tour by appendicitis.
“We’ve had a really positive week of preparation, and the players have worked hard in training,” Borthwick said.
“We know Fiji will provide a tough challenge. They are a dangerous side who will demand the very best from us.
“It’s fantastic to be playing at Hill Dickinson Stadium, which is an outstanding venue.
“There is a real passion for rugby across the north of England, and we’re looking forward to experiencing a brilliant atmosphere in Liverpool.”
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 9, 2026
England team to play Fiji 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 (Saracens), 6 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), 7 Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), 8 Ben Earl (Saracens)
Backs: 9 Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), 12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), 14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), 15 Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), 17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), 18 George Kloska (Bristol Bears), 19 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 20 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), 21 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), 23 Noah Caluori (Saracens)