Who Starts for England Against Japan Before the All Blacks Test?
England Japan team news 2026 has become a selection story rather than a routine home fixture. The 45-22 win over Australia gave Steve Borthwick momentum, then injuries forced him to rethink the side that faces Eddie Jones’s Japan at Twickenham on Saturday. New Zealand arrive a week later, but the immediate question is who can preserve England’s attacking shape without the players who made Sunday’s performance click.
Is England’s Starting XV Against Japan Confirmed?
Not yet in the official information available for this Thursday-morning update. Borthwick’s England Japan starting XV should be added only after the Rugby Football Union publishes its team sheet. Newspaper selections and training-squad inclusions are not confirmations.
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | England v Japan |
| Date | Saturday 14 November 2026 |
| Kick-off | 16:40 GMT |
| Venue | Allianz Stadium, Twickenham |
| UK TV | ITV1 and ITVX |
| Next England Test | New Zealand, 21 November |
A 36-player training squad is available. That is a pool of options, not a match-day 23, and Borthwick still needs to balance cohesion with the injuries accumulated against Australia. The replacement bench matters, too.
Which England Players Are Out of the Japan Test?
Five absences are especially relevant. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (ankle) and Tom Curry (hip) are out for the rest of the autumn series. Seb Atkinson (hip), Ollie Chessum (shoulder) and George Furbank (groin) are unavailable against Japan but remain in rehabilitation, with the New Zealand match a possible return target rather than a promise.
| Selection area | Confirmed issue | Possible solution, not confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Left wing | Feyi-Waboso out | Will Joseph or another winger |
| Inside centre | Atkinson out | Max Ojomoh or Fraser Dingwall |
| Back row | Curry out | Pollock, Earl or Fisilau combination |
| Back five | Chessum out | Coles or another forward switch |
| Full-back | Furbank out | Steward or Marcus Smith |
Why Might Borthwick Rotate Before New Zealand?
He has little choice over the injury changes. More interesting is how he distributes minutes among healthy players, particularly after Ben Curry’s recent return. England’s seven tries against Australia showed attacking variety, but ripping apart familiar partnerships would discard some of that gain.
The opposition complicate the calculation. Japan lost 28-21 to Wales last weekend, yet Eddie Jones knows England’s system intimately and can test their breakdown protection and defensive spacing. Calling this a rest week misses the point.
England v Japan Odds: Does Rotation Affect Betting?
The selection announcement could change the appeal of handicap betting more than the outright market. A 31-point line, for example, asks whether England can maintain pressure after their replacements arrive.
