Marland Yarde is on standby for a recall to England’s right wing after being retained in the matchday squad to play Australia on Saturday. Wasps’ Nathan Hughes is also poised to take over at No8 from the injured Billy Vunipola, who has had surgery to repair knee cartilage damage.
Yarde, who started the opening November Test win against South Africa, fills the squad vacancy left by Elliot Daly, who has been suspended for three weeks following his red card for taking out an Argentinian in the air last weekend. Bath’s Semesa Rokoduguni has also been named in a 25-man squad but, unless injury intervenes, Yarde’s experience of facing the Wallabies on England’s summer tour may well prove decisive.
The retention of Rokoduguni, who scored two tries and won the man of the match award against Fiji, comes after his club-mates expressed their disbelief at his omission for the Pumas game. Eddie Jones will confirm his lineup on Thursday but would have to drop either Ben Te’o or Henry Slade from the bench to find room for Rokoduguni if he fails to make the starting XV.
Up front the powerful Hughes is the most obvious ball-carrying replacement for Vunipola, with Jack Clifford ceasing to be a realistic option once he was knocked out playing for Harlequins on Sunday. The Bath flanker Dave Attwood is also in the squad and is competing with his club-mate Charlie Ewels for one bench spot.
The Australia flanker Dean Mumm will be available after escaping a ban for a dangerous tackle against Ireland. A disciplinary panel decided the offence, for which Mumm was sent to the sin-bin, would not have warranted a red card and imposed no further sanction.
England starting XV v Australia (probable) Brown (Harlequins); Yarde (Harlequins), Joseph (Bath), Farrell (Saracens), May (Gloucester); Ford (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester); M Vunipola (Saracens), Hartley (Northampton, capt), Cole (Leicester), Kruis (Saracens), Lawes (Northampton), Robshaw (Harlequins), Wood (Northampton), Hughes (Wasps).
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