England will play the first minute of their Six Nations rugby without Maro Itoje, who has not played for seven years, with their captain set to be on the bench for Saturday’s opener against Wales.
Itoje missed England’s preparations for the game in Girona to attend the funeral of his mother Florence in Nigeria.
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“It’s been difficult, to be honest,” he told The Sunday Times of his grief.
“It’s been challenging both professionally and personally. That’s the paradox of life.”
Itoje has been representing England in the Six Nations since the start of 2020, playing the full 80 minutes in 30 consecutive games.
However, the 31-year-old was on the bench for England’s win over Fiji in the autumn.
Itoje’s Saracens team-mate and former captain hooker Jamie George will lead the team from the start, with Itoje taking over that role after coming off the bench. Alex Coles was joined by Ollie Chessum in the second row.
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Elsewhere, Northampton duo Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman won a tight battle to start in midfield.
Dingwall has started three inside centers in England’s four autumn internationals, but he faces pressure from Bath’s Max Ojomo, who impressed when he replaced the injured Northampton player against Argentina in the summer, as well as the return of Seba Atkinson from injury.
The selection means Freeman’s transition from pro winger to outside center will continue.
The 24-year-old won his first 19 of 22 caps for his country but made his first Test start as a 13-year-old in March’s 68-14 win over Wales in Cardiff.
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He started at No. 13 in Northampton’s 41-21 win over Bath in December, scoring a hat-trick against Ollie Lawrence, one of his main rivals for the position, to make a compelling case for a Test spot.
Lawrence has been a first-choice mainstay since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but he has been troubled by a knee injury during England’s pre-tournament training camp.
Manager Steve Borthwick hopes the defensive chemistry that has helped Northampton reach the top of the domestic league will translate to the international stage.
England vs. Wales
Stewards; Fay-Waboso, Freeman, Dingwall, Arundel; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George, Hayes; Coles, Chessum; Pepper, Underhill, Earle
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Alternatives: Cowan-Dickie, Rhodes, Davidson, Itoje, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, M Smith
Elsewhere, Bath winger Henry Arundell will make his first appearance for England since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being named on the left wing.
The 23-year-old, who scored a try against Australia on his Test debut as a teenager and equaled the record against Chile at the 2023 World Cup in France, is a dangerous field-breaker.
Since moving to Bath at the start of the season, he has improved both on the ball and defensively.
Leicester’s Freddie Steward, a 6ft 5in aerial specialist, plays at full-back alongside Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who has made seven appearances in 13 games, completing a back three designed to collect and counter Wales’ kicking bombardment.
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Borthwick predicts Wales will soar under new coach Steve Tandy with “50 contested kicks” when the two teams meet at the Allianz Stadium at Twickenham.
“England vs. Wales is always a special moment in the rugby calendar. It’s a historic and fierce rivalry that presents huge challenges every time they meet,” Borthwick added.
“We want Wales to deliver a good game, so we need to get that challenge right.”
With injuries to Will Stewart, Finn Baxter and Asher Opoku-Fogel, England’s backbone has been hit, with England’s strongest players Ellis Genge and Joe Hayes starting together.
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Although England enjoyed four consecutive wins in the autumn with a group of experienced substitutes in the ‘Pom Squad’, there was less proven ability on the bench for this World Cup opener.
Bevan Rodd has made two Test starts over the past few years, while Trevor Davison has made three appearances as a substitute.
Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill and Ben Earl – England’s toughest backline trio of internationals in the autumn – start together again.
As expected, Alex Mitchell and George Ford reunited with Henry Pollock, who made five appearances for his country, on the bench, with Tom Curry again on the bench.
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Sale winger Tom Roebuck, who has not played since injuring his toe during the win over New Zealand in November, was left out of the matchday squad and given a week to regain match sharpness.
