Statement: England confirm squad for Australia with uncapped forward called up

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Stepping up after Joe Marler’s retirement announcement – just a day after England's narrow 24-22 loss to the All Blacks – Opoku-Fordjour is set to bring his U20 World Championship-winning form to Twickenham.

Opoku-Fordjour, who has shown versatility this season by switching between loosehead and tighthead, even received praise from Marler himself after a standout performance in last season's Harlequins vs. Sale clash. Now, he's ready to fill those big boots and leave his own mark.

Joining Opoku-Fordjour in the squad is Bath's seasoned lock Charlie Ewels. Coming in for his fellow Bath man Ted Hill, Ewels adds experience and leadership to a pack looking to bounce back from last week’s heartbreak.

With England reloading for Australia, all eyes are set on Twickenham to see if these two newcomers can help England turn things around on home turf.

Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)

Backs
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)

Guardian 5/10: "Back from calf injury and gassed by Tele’a for first try. Embraced the blitz defence but beaten by Jordan too easily as well."

Telegraph 5/10: "Brutally targeted by the All Blacks for their opening tries by Tele’a and Jordan. Rule of thumb: don’t leave your prop exposed against All Black outside backs."

Guardian 5/10: "First start at 32 and looked nervous, caught out at one ruck on his own 22 and charged down. Settled thereafter but not the statement showing he’d have liked."

Guardian 5/10: "Handling a bit shaky under the high ball early on but that improved. Not much of chance to show what he can do with the ball."

Telegraph 5/10: "A disappointing showing. His high-ball work is usually his calling card but was very poor here, helping New Zealand to dominate the early aerial exchanges."

Planet Rugby 5/10: "Not a great deal to say for a player who had a lot to deal with in Mark Tele’a and failed to really stamp his mark on the game."

Rugby Pass 4/10: "Conceded an early scrum penalty which eventually resulted in Scotland’s first try of the match. Had a tough time at scrum time, which was part of Fiji’s undoing in an ill-disciplined affair."

Rugby Pass 3/10: "One of the All Blacks best this year finally had on off day. An ankle tap on Maro Itoje helped save a bad situation in the first half.

"Took a massive shot from Cunningham-South and spilt the ball, the All Blacks conceded a penalty from the scrum. Dropped the pass with an open line ahead on what was probably a forward pass from Sititi, but nonetheless a possible try scoring moment. Pinged right on half-time for side maul entry. Off at 41."

Telegraph 5/10: "Received a thunderous welcome from Cunningham-South in the first half and spilled a Sititi pass which did ask too much of him. Limped off a minute into the second half.

Planet Rugby 5/10: "New Zealand had their lineout wobbles, while Vaa’i struggled to put it about physically. The lock also dropped a ball which he should have held with the tryline in his sight. "

Rugby is a sport of grit, skill, and resilience, and it’s the players who endure season after season, test after test, who embody these qualities best. Today, we’re counting down the top 100 men’s capped players in rugby history – athletes whose dedication to their teams has etched their names into the record books.

From powerhouse props to fleet-footed wings, these players have amassed an astonishing number of caps, representing their countries time and again on the world’s biggest stage. Whether they’ve thrilled fans with dazzling runs, anchored the scrum, or inspired with steadfast leadership, each has contributed to the legacy of rugby in unforgettable ways.