Feyi-Waboso out of England's Six Nations opener

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso running with the ball during an England training camp. He has short black hair and is wearing a green bib with a blue training top and shorts.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Injury has once again struck Immanuel Feyi-Waboso before a Six Nations tournament

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been ruled out of England's Six Nations opener against Wales on Saturday with a leg injury.

The 23-year-old started all four of England's autumn Tests but pulled up in training on Thursday.

Scrum coach Tom Harrison confirmed Feyi-Waboso's misfortune, with Tom Roebuck set to fill in on the right wing at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

It will be Roebuck's first appearance since starting against New Zealand in November, having been sidelined with a toe problem.

Harrison says Roebuck is not being rushed back into action, and he is confident the switch will not adversely affect England's prospects.

"In an ideal world we'd have given him an extra week, but the world isn't ideal as we know," Harrison said.

"We do a really good job of 'what ifs' and what might happen and combinations.

"Does it disrupt some plans? Yes it does, because it's changing a player. But we've done everything we can to make sure the next player is ready."

For Feyi-Waboso, of Exeter Chiefs, it is the second time injury has affected his Six Nations hopes.

Shortlisted for World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of 2024 award, a shoulder injury meant he missed last year's competition.

He made his return to rugby in an England A game against France but was red-carded for a high shot on Antoine Hastoy.

A ban ruled him out of two Tests against Argentina in the summer, but he returned to the starting line-up against the United States in July.

Aiming to win their first Six Nations title for six years, England go into the competition on a run of 11 wins and their first unbeaten four-Test autumn in nearly a decade.

Wales have not won a Six Nations match since beating Italy in March 2023 and have finished bottom of the standings for the past two tournaments.

Their last match ended in a 73-0 defeat by South Africa in November. That was their biggest ever defeat at home, surpassing the 68-14 loss by England in March 2025.

England v Wales

2026 Guinness Six Nations

Saturday, 7 February, 16:40 GMT

Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

Listen to full match commentary on BBC Sounds via BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and on the BBC Sport website and app alongside live text commentary

Line-ups

England: Steward; Roebuck, Freeman, Dingwall, Arundell; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George, Heyes; Coles, Chessum; Pepper, Underhill, Earl

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Itoje, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, M Smith

Wales: Rees-Zammit; Mee, James, B Thomas, Adams; Edwards, T Williams; Smith, Lake (capt), Griffin, D Jenkins, Beard, Mann, Macleod, Wainwright.

Replacements: Belcher, Carre, T Francis, Carter, Plumtree, Deaves, Hardy, Grady.

Match officials

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)

Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia) and South African Morne Ferreira (South Africa)

Television match official (TMO): Tual Trainini (France)

Foul play review official (FPRO): Brett Cronan (Australia)

England v Wales head to head

  • England's 68-14 victory over Wales in March last year was the most points they have ever scored against Wales, surpassing the 62 they racked up in a World Cup warm-up in 2007

  • England have won 10 of their last 12 Six Nations encounters with Wales, including the last four in a row

  • Wales have not won a Six Nations game at Twickenham since 2012. Their last win there came in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup

  • Of 143 previous encounters England have 70 wins, Wales 61 and there have been 12 draws