Injury crisis deepens for England as yet another key man sidelined ahead of Fiji clash
Rugby NewsTuesday, 04 November 2025 at 21:40
, winger Tom Roebuck — one of the standout performers in England’s win over Australia — picked up an ankle issue in training on Tuesday and was forced to limp out of the session.
Henry Arundell is set to make his long-awaited England return this weekend, with Steve Borthwick weighing up changes ahead of Saturday’s clash against Fiji at Twickenham.
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Meanwhile, Freddie Steward sat out the day entirely as he continues to recover from a hand injury sustained late in the Wallabies victory.
Both remain in contention to feature, but their fitness concerns could open the door for Arundell to earn his first England start since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. If neither Roebuck nor Steward make it, Borthwick could field one of his most dynamic back threes yet.
Marcus Smith is expected to continue at full-back, with Arundell — who famously crossed for five tries against Chile in France — potentially linking up with rising star Immanuel Feyi-Waboso out wide.
England team to play Fiji
- Date: Saturday 8th November 2025
- Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
- Kick-off: 5:40pm
- Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
- TV Coverage: Live on TNT Sports
- Tickets here
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
2. Jamie George (Saracens) – vice-captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens) – captain
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks) – vice-captain
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
14. Henry Arundell (Barth Rugby)
15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
2. Jamie George (Saracens) – vice-captain
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens) – captain
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks) – vice-captain
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
14. Henry Arundell (Barth Rugby)
15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) – vice-captain
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
23. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) – vice-captain
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
23. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Fastest Rugby Players in the world 2025 (Ranked 10-1):
10. Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Arendse's explosive acceleration and agility make him a formidable presence on the wing, consistently breaking through defenses.
Arendse's explosive acceleration and agility make him a formidable presence on the wing, consistently breaking through defenses.
9. Damien Penaud (France)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Penaud combines speed with sharp footwork, turning even small gaps in the defense into scoring opportunities.
Penaud combines speed with sharp footwork, turning even small gaps in the defense into scoring opportunities.
8. Grant Williams (South Africa)
Top Speed: 10.2–10.7 m/s (22.8–24 mph)
Williams' pace puts him among the fastest rugby players in South Africa, making him a threat on the counter-attack.
Williams' pace puts him among the fastest rugby players in South Africa, making him a threat on the counter-attack.
7. Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Ioane's versatility allows him to exploit spaces with his rapid bursts, whether on the wing or at centre.
Ioane's versatility allows him to exploit spaces with his rapid bursts, whether on the wing or at centre.
6. Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales)
Top Speed: 24.2 mph (39 km/h)
Rees-Zammit's acceleration and top-end speed make him a constant threat in open play.
Rees-Zammit's acceleration and top-end speed make him a constant threat in open play.
5. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
Top Speed: 10.7 seconds per 100m
Kolbe's agility and footwork, combined with speed, make him one of rugby's most elusive wingers.
Kolbe's agility and footwork, combined with speed, make him one of rugby's most elusive wingers.
4. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
Top Speed: 37.8 km/h (23.5 mph)
Bielle-Biarrey's rapid acceleration and instinctive running lines highlight him as a rising star.
Bielle-Biarrey's rapid acceleration and instinctive running lines highlight him as a rising star.
3. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Jordan's combination of speed and timing allows him to exploit defensive gaps and finish scoring opportunities with precision.
Jordan's combination of speed and timing allows him to exploit defensive gaps and finish scoring opportunities with precision.
2. Henry Arundell (England)
Top Speed: 11.5 m/s (25.7 mph)
Arundell's blistering pace and try-scoring ability make him one of the top fastest rugby players in England.
Arundell's blistering pace and try-scoring ability make him one of the top fastest rugby players in England.
1. Adam Radwan (England)
Top Speed: Tops GPS charts for current XVs players
Radwan's raw speed, agility, and finishing ability make him arguably the fastest rugby player in the world today.
Radwan's raw speed, agility, and finishing ability make him arguably the fastest rugby player in the world today.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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