England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his line-up to face Australia at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday, November 9 (kick-off at 3:10 pm, live on TNT Sports). Jamie George will lead the team as captain, with Maro Itoje, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, and George Ford supporting him as vice-captains.
Steve Borthwick has named a virtually unchanged match-day 23, with Luke Cowan-Dickie back in the squad for the first time since the 2022 Autumn Nations Series. Northampton winger Ollie Sleightholme has also been called into the squad as Borthwick opts for a 5-3 split on the bench.
In the front row, George starts at hooker alongside Genge at loosehead prop and Will Stuart at tighthead. The second row sees Itoje partnered with George Martin, while the back row comprises Chandler Cunningham-South on the blindside, Tom Curry at openside, and Earl at No. 8.
The forward pack will be looking to continue their set-piece form, especially at lineout time. England are the only men’s Tier 1 side to have won 90%+ of their lineouts in 2024 (92%). However, Australia have stolen an average of 2.0 opposition lineouts per game this year - also the highest rate of any team.
Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith remain the half-back pairing after a strong performance versus New Zealand. The centre pairing has been switched for this match – in jersey numbers at least - with Henry Slade at inside centre and Ollie Lawrence at outside centre.
The back three includes the formidable Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the right wing - fresh from a dominant display which saw him carry nine times for a total of 108 meters against the All Blacks - Tommy Freeman on the left, and George Furbank at full-back.
The bench features two changes from last Saturday’s game, with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ollie Sleightholme primed to make their first appearance of the Autumn Nations Series. The pair join Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, and George Ford among the substitutes.
On naming his team for Saturday, Borthwick said: “Facing Australia is always a massive challenge, and we’ll work diligently this week to ensure we’re physically and tactically prepared to take on the Wallabies.
“The passion and energy from the crowd at Allianz Stadium last weekend was absolutely brilliant, from the opening whistle to the final moments, and we can't wait to be back at home this Saturday."
England have won 10 of their last 11 Test matches against Australia, with their solitary defeat coming in the first Test of the 2022 summer tour of Australia.
ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA
Saturday 9 November 2024
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 3.10pm (GMT)
15. George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 7 caps)
13. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 28 caps)
12. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 66 caps)
11. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 12 caps)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 36 caps)
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 7 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 63 caps) – vice-captain
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 94 caps) – captain
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 42 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 85 caps) – vice-captain
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)
6. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 8 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 54 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 34 caps) – vice-captain
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 41 caps)
17. Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 3 caps)
18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 116 caps)
19. Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 12 caps)
20. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 18 caps)
21. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 8 caps)
22. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 97 caps) – vice captain
23. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
