Steve Borthwick has made two bold selection calls as England have confirmed their team to face Australia.
The clash will be the first of four autumn internationals for England as they continue their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Australia visit on Sunday, before Japan and the All Blacks arrive at Allianz Stadium. England will then host the Nations Championship finals weekend at the same venue.
Pressure mounting on Steve Borthwick
However, pressure is mounting on Borthwick following a disappointing Six Nations campaign, which saw England record just one victory.
Another underwhelming autumn could leave the head coach facing serious questions over his future.
Henry Pollock set for surprise role on the wing
Borthwick has made two significant gambles when selecting his side.
The first involves a 6-2 split on the bench, with Henry Pollock providing cover for starting wingers Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Pollock's physical attributes could make him a dangerous option out wide, but his lack of experience in the position makes the decision a considerable risk.
The back-rower has featured on the wing on several occasions, although playing there for an extended period is a different challenge.
England could find themselves exposed if either Freeman or Feyi-Waboso needs to leave the field, particularly with Pollock having limited experience in the position.
Ellis Genge dropped to the bench
Another notable selection decision sees Ellis Genge dropped to the bench, with Fin Baxter expected to start at loosehead prop.
The decision could be part of Borthwick's plan to introduce Genge later in the match, allowing the experienced prop to provide additional power and impact against tiring opposition.
George Furbank and Henry Slade to start
The remainder of the squad is largely as expected, with George Furbank and Henry Slade reportedly set to start at fullback and outside centre respectively.
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Fin Smith is also believed to be fit and available at fly-half, although his potential involvement could raise concerns among supporters.
There are fears that rushing the Northampton Saints playmaker back into action could aggravate his injury and leave him facing a longer spell on the sidelines.
England are expected to officially announce their squad this afternoon, with the reported selections offering an early indication of Borthwick's plans for the Australia clash.
Confirmed England team to face Australia
15. George Furbank (Harlequins, 14 caps)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton
Saints, 30 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 77 caps)
12. Seb Atkinson (Gloucester
Rugby, 7 caps)
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter
Chiefs, 16 caps)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton
Saints, 19 caps)
9. Jack van Poortvliet
(Leicester Tigers, 27 caps)
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 18 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 113 caps) –
vice-captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 25 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens,
102 caps) – captain
5. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 22 caps)
6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester
Tigers, 38 caps) – vice-captain
7. Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 14 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 54 caps)
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 61 caps)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 83 caps) – vice-captain
18. Will
Stuart (Bath Rugby, 53 caps)
19. George
Martin (Saracens, 24 caps)
20. Greg Fisilau
(Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
21. Henry Pollock
(Northampton Saints, 13 caps)
22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 19 caps)
23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 53
caps)
Five facts about Ellis Genge
- He started playing rugby aged 12 at Old Redcliffians. At 16 Genge moved to Hartpury College and captained their rugby team to victory in the AASE league.
- The now world-class prop began his career in the back-row.
- Genge has developmental coordination disorder, also known as Dyspraxia. Different types of dyspraxia can affect writing, speech and other movements involved in learning. Forever inspiring us, Genge has gone onto help kids going through the same struggles.
- The prop gifted the mobility scooter he used when recovering from a knee injury to a older Leicester Tigers supporter who really needed it.
- He names League of Legends as his favourite online game, but he has also played Fifa in a number of tournaments throughout lockdown.
