​Senior assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth believes Benhard Janse van Rensburg’s ability to hit hard in defense and to function effectively on attack will bolster England’s midfield. Janse van Rensburg, who briefly represented South Africa at under-20 level more than a decade ago, becomes England-eligible after the Rugby Football Union challenged whether he had test-level Springbok ties. The 29-year-old Bristol star is poised to win his first England cap against Fiji in Liverpool on Saturday. “He brings an all-court game, doesn’t he? I like how he wants to make contact and embraces the physical side, but he also wants the ball in hand on the other side,” Wigglesworth said. “If he gets a chance I’m sure that’s exactly what we’ll see from him.” Janse van Rensburg, who qualifies for England after five years playing in the country, has been named in the Premiership team of the season for the past three campaigns. He can slot in at both inside and outside centre, widening the combinations available to England as they aim to avoid a sixth consecutive Test defeat.
Gloucester’s hard-running Seb Atkinson, who led the Premiership in gain-line carries during the regular season, appears to be England’s first-choice inside centre option. The 24-year-old has started the last three Tests for England. There has also been an effort to convert wing Tommy Freeman into a gainline-breaking 13 over the past year, with seven of his last nine appearances coming at outside centre. Other midfield options in the squad include Max Ojomoh and Henry Slade. Janse van Rensburg came on as a second-half substitute for Atkinson in a non-cap match against a France XV last month, suggesting England may prefer him to start at 12 in time.
England are looking to rebound from a 45-21 defeat to South Africa in Johannesburg, which followed Six Nations losses to France, Italy, Ireland and Scotland. Steve Borthwick’s side have been critical of their early performance against the Springboks, with three tries conceded in the first 11 minutes at Ellis Park. Fly-half Fin Smith described his team as “soft defensively,” and forward Ellis Genge openly told teammates after the match that certain periods of their play were unacceptable. Fiji also started the new Nations Championship with a defeat, losing 32-26 to Wales. In the broader rugby landscape, listeners can explore intriguing topics such as the sport’s strangest crimes in Bloodgate and catch the latest Rugby Union Weekly podcast for more analysis.