Will Joseph set for England audition in Feyi‑Waboso’s absence ahead of Saturday’s Test with Japan
Gloucester back Will Joseph has been called into England’s reckoning to fill a leading role for the Test against Japan on Saturday after the squad was hit by injuries to key backs, with the 24-year-old having been a travelling reserve for last weekend’s match against Australia.
England face a reshuffle in their back line following the sidelining of Manny Feyi‑Waboso, Seb Atkinson and George Furbank, a situation that has forced head coach Steve Borthwick to reconsider the blend that excelled against the Wallabies; Joseph’s possible recall comes four years after his England debut under Eddie Jones.
Assistant coach Kevin Sinfield, who was knighted earlier this year, praised Joseph’s training form and versatility, saying: “What a player he is. I’ve been really impressed with him in training … having only worked with Will for a little while he’s made a huge mark on everybody. He beats people, he’s got great balance and he’s a good defender with unbelievable power and speed off the mark. He’s a good jackaller, he breaks the line … he’s a special player. Some of the bits he’s done in training have been ‘Wow’ moments. He can play.”
Joseph’s only previous cap arrived in the closing minutes of England’s Test victory against the Wallabies in Brisbane in 2022 when he was a 20-year-old apprentice, and his season for Gloucester has included a notably described scintillating try at Exeter; team‑mate Alex Coles said of that finish: “He rounded someone on the wing in five metres of space and even Henry Pollock, who was on the defensive side against him, celebrated his try because it was that good.”
Other back‑three options named in the squad include Cadan Murley, Joe Marchant, Noah Caluori and Tobias Elliott, but Joseph’s ability to cover centre and wing could strengthen his case when selectors consider the final World Cup squad next year; Sinfield cautioned that while Feyi‑Waboso remains the team’s most potent attacking threat, replacements should “bring the best of themselves.”
Sinfield also confirmed England are monitoring workload for key players after Tom Curry’s hip problems resurfaced and said the RFU’s agreement with the Premiership clubs may be used to manage game time for Feyi‑Waboso and Curry this season. “The agreement that’s in place will hopefully ensure brilliant collaboration between club and country,” said Sinfield. “What you tend to find is players either get a load of injuries at the start of their careers or get them towards the back end. Hopefully we’ve had a good run with Manny now and that can be the last one for some time. We can then get him fully fit for a long period of time and Exeter get to see the best of him, too. Again, the collaboration [with the clubs] is going to be really important for us.”
With several spots to fill in the matchday 23, Joseph appears set for a Test recall for Saturday’s game against Japan and could feature in some capacity as England name their squad for the fixture.