Borthwick rings 10 changes for Japan clash as Pollock returns to back-row

Steve Borthwick has named a heavily rotated England side for Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture against Japan at Twickenham, making 10 changes to the XV that defeated Australia 45-22 last weekend.

Only five players retain their starting places from the win over the Wallabies: captain Maro Itoje, player of the match Henry Slade, Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Earl and Alex Coles. Even within that group there is positional movement — Earl and Coles have both shifted to the flanks, having started at No.8 and second-row respectively against Australia.

Earl’s move to the openside opens the door for Henry Pollock to start at No.8, just his second cap. The 20-year-old impressed with two tries in a 40-minute cameo on the wing last week, a role he filled only after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso suffered a series-ending ankle injury in the first half. Pollock now returns to his natural back-row position for the visit of Eddie Jones’ Japan.

Feyi-Waboso’s absence has been covered by Will Joseph, who earns his second England cap four years after Jones — now in charge of Japan — first selected him as a 19-year-old against Australia in 2022. Joseph starts on the right wing, with Cadan Murley coming in on the left in place of the rested Tommy Freeman.

At inside centre, Max Ojomoh earns his third cap after Seb Atkinson picked up a hip injury against the Wallabies. Atkinson has remained in camp for rehabilitation. Ojomoh, fresh from a strong performance for England A against an Argentina XV, will partner Slade in a centre combination that clicked in a 27-23 win over Argentina in November 2025.

With George Furbank and Ollie Chessum both undergoing rehabilitation, Freddie Steward returns to start at full-back, while George Martin slots into the second-row alongside Itoje, pushing Coles to blindside flanker.

George Ford starts at fly-half after Fin Smith was given the week off following his late fitness scare ahead of the Australia match. Smith is being managed with next week’s All Blacks fixture in mind.

The entire front-row has been replaced, with Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Asher Opoku-Fordjour all starting. Fin Baxter and Jamie George are rested, with Theo Dan serving as replacement hooker and Emmanuel Iyogun — a one-cap international — covering loosehead off the bench.

Iyogun is one of three bench players with a single cap to their name, joined by Gloucester lock Arthur Clark, who debuted against the USA in 2025, and Greg Fisilau, who came on as a replacement against Australia last week.