Tommy Freeman will begin his transition to outside centre after being named in the No 13 jersey by Steve Borthwick for England’s first match of the Autumn Nations Series against Australia this weekend.
Northampton Saints star Freeman has won the bulk of his 21 England caps as a winger, where he also made three Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions over the summer, but will now take on a new role at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who ran in in four tries for Saints against Saracens on Friday, has long seen his future at outside centre and started at No 13 against Wales during the Six Nations earlier this year following an injury to Ollie Lawrence.
Now Borthwick has decided to fully bed his powerful presence in the centres with the 2027 Rugby World Cup less than two years away. Earlier this week, Freeman’s Northampton teammate Alex Mitchell – who starts at scrum half against the Wallabies – backed his compatriot to shine in a new position.
“Tommy’s confidence is through the roof and his form is amazing,” said Mitchell. “He will be as good at 13 as he is on the wing and it’s going to be exciting to see him go there and see how he pushes on.
“It’s a different position and he appreciates that, but not too much changes with him – he will just want to get the ball in his hands and try to get over people and get past people.
“He’s got the speed, the power, the height. He understands the game. We know that if he puts that all together, he’s one hell of a player. He’s showing that at the moment.”
There will be familiarity for Freeman on Saturday as not only will Mitchell be pulling the strings at No 9 but another Northampton Saint, Fraser Dingwall, will start alongside him at inside centre.
Freeman’s shift inside allows the impressive Tom Roebuck to continue on the right wing with the returning Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – who has been unstoppable for Exeter so far this season – on the left wing and Freddie Steward, after shining on the summer tour to Argentina, named at full back.
Plenty more of the players who impressed against Argentina while many of the bigger names were on Lions duty are retained in Borthwick’s first starting XV of the autumn, although there is no place in the 23 just yet for rising, 19-year-old superstar Noah Caluori after his try-scoring heroics for Saracens and surprise call-up to the wider squad.
George Ford has won the fly-half battle and is preferred to the two Smiths – Marcus and Fin (who is on the bench) – at No 10, while Bath star Guy Pepper will win his fourth cap at blindside flanker with Sam Underhill on the other flank and Ben Earl at No 8.
The front row that caused the Pumas all sorts of problems is given the opportunity to do likewise against Australia as Fin Baxter and Joe Heyes start either side of veteran hooker Jamie George, while Maro Itoje captains the side as expected in the second row alongside Ollie Chessum.
There is a 6-2 split on the bench with the aforementioned Fin Smith and scrum half Ben Spencer as the only back options, while Henry Pollock must wait for his first England start despite his Lions adventure as he an Tom Curry provide back-row cover.
Luke Cowan-Dickie is the replacement hooker and will win his 50th cap if he comes on against the Wallabies, with Borthwick saluting the milestone.
“Luke is a fierce competitor who gives absolutely everything every time he pulls on an England shirt,” said the England coach. “Reaching 50 caps is a reflection of his consistency, resilience and commitment to the team over many years. We couldn’t be prouder of his achievement.”
The game against the Wallabies is followed by further fixtures at Allianz Stadium against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina, with Borthwick eager to get the autumn off to a strong start.
“Australia have had four months together, so it’ll be a great challenge for us first up,” he added. “We’ve worked hard with the time we’ve had, and the players can’t wait to play in front of a passionate home crowd. It’s another opportunity for us to take a step forward as a team.”
England team to face Australia on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 38 caps)
14. Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
13. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 20 caps)
12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 102 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 23 caps)
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 14 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 102 caps)
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 93 caps) – captain
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 28 caps)
6. Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 3 caps)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 42 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 42 caps)
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 49 caps)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 71 caps)
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 50 caps)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 61 caps)
21. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
22. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
23. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
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