Furbank rushed to hospital with appendicitis hours before England's Springboks opener

George Furbank has been taken to hospital with appendicitis and withdrawn from England’s matchday squad on the morning of their Nations Championship opener against South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The 29-year-old Harlequins full-back had been named to start by head coach Steve Borthwick in what would have been his first Test appearance since 2024, following a prolonged spell on the sidelines with injuries. The setback denies Furbank the chance to add to his 14 England caps and is expected to rule him out of the remaining tour matches against Fiji and Argentina.

England had already been stretched at full-back before the late withdrawal. Freddie Steward was previously ruled out of the tour with an ankle injury, leaving the squad short of specialist cover in the position.

The most likely outcome, per The Telegraph’s report, is Marcus Smith moving from the bench to start at full-back, a role he has filled before and one that offers a comparable attacking profile to Furbank. No official announcement had been made by England at the time of reporting.

Smith’s vacancy on the bench presents a more open question, with George Ford, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade, and Noah Caluori all considered logical candidates to fill the spot.

England’s starting XV, as originally named by Borthwick, features captain Jamie George at hooker with 110 caps, vice-captains Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum, and a back row of Tom Curry, Henry Pollock, and Ben Earl. Fin Smith starts at fly-half, with Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half.