England's Injury Crisis Deepens Ahead of All Blacks Showdown
Steve Borthwick's preparations for England's autumn international against New Zealand have been dealt a significant blow, with key players Ollie Chessum and Tommy Freeman becoming serious doubts for Saturday's showdown at Twickenham. Both players were notably absent from training on Monday, casting major uncertainty over their availability for one of England's most anticipated fixtures of the year.
Second Row Shake-up as Chessum Struggles
The situation appears particularly concerning for Leicester Tigers captain Ollie Chessum, who is battling a foot injury. The lock forward was spotted using crutches at England's training base in Bagshot, having been replaced after 70 minutes during last weekend's 38-18 victory over Fiji. Should Chessum be ruled out, as now seems likely, Alex Coles is expected to partner Maro Itoje in the second row against the All Blacks.
This represents another frustrating setback for Chessum, whose international career has been repeatedly disrupted by serious injuries. He missed the entire autumn campaign last year due to a knee injury sustained at England's preparation camp in Girona and nearly missed the 2023 World Cup after suffering an ankle injury during that year's Six Nations tournament.
Backline Concerns Mount With Freeman Hamstring Issue
Equally worrying for Borthwick is the situation surrounding Tommy Freeman, who is understood to be nursing a hamstring problem. The 24-year-old was also replaced in the latter stages of the Fiji victory and has become an integral component of England's backline strategy. Freeman has started every England match available to him since the beginning of 2024, featuring at outside-centre against Australia before returning to the right wing against Fiji.
His potential absence would represent a considerable blow to Borthwick's attacking options. While Elliot Daly has returned to full training after fracturing an arm during British & Irish Lions duty in June, throwing him straight into action against New Zealand would represent a massive gamble given his lack of recent match practice.
Borthwick's Selection Headache Intensifies
The injury concerns create a complex selection puzzle for the England head coach. In the back three, Freddie Steward (hand) and Tom Roebuck (ankle) have returned to training after missing the Fiji encounter, and Borthwick will be desperately hoping both are available to face the All Blacks. Their absence would escalate the situation to a full-blown back-three crisis.
Steward previously started against Australia and appears to be competing with Daly for the fullback position, unless Borthwick persists with Marcus Smith in the number 15 jersey. If fit, Roebuck would be the expected direct replacement for Freeman on the wing.
In the pack, Borthwick's second-row options look increasingly thin. With Chessum likely unavailable, Chandler Cunningham-South would be pressed into providing cover despite starting at number eight against Fiji. This development is expected to prompt a back-row reshuffle, with Sam Underhill anticipated to return to the starting lineup after sitting out the Fiji victory.
Underhill has started 13 of England's 16 matches since the 2023 World Cup, and it would be surprising if Tom Curry - who has appeared off the bench in both autumn internationals so far - doesn't also return to the starting fifteen.
England approach this crucial encounter riding a wave of nine consecutive Test victories, yet they have lost their last three meetings with New Zealand, all by narrow margins. The team hasn't defeated the All Blacks at Twickenham since Manu Tuilagi's memorable performance in 2012, adding extra significance to this weekend's fixture.
Underhill, one of the few current squad members to have experienced victory over New Zealand after starring in the 2019 World Cup semi-final win, emphasised the challenge ahead. "As a team they are incredibly good decision-makers and they take advantage of teams that are slow to react to things," he noted. "You have almost got to see the game as quickly as you can, then the physical intensity; they are an athletic team, a dynamic team that make the most of space and speed of ball."
