Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is set to make his first start for England against Ireland this Saturday, marking a rapid ascent since playing for Taunton Titans just under a year ago.

According to reports from The Guardian, it is expected that Steve Borthwick will choose the recently recovered scrum-half Alex Mitchell and George Martin for the challenging Six Nations match. In addition, Marcus Smith is anticipated to be included in the team as a substitute, while George Ford will maintain his position as fly-half.

Feyi-Waboso has impressed in his two substitute performances so far and is expected to make his first start as a left winger. Unless there is a last-minute change, Elliot Daly will be replaced by Feyi-Waboso, who was the subject of a dispute between England and Wales before the Six Nations.

The Exeter winger was absent from the training camp in York last week due to a medical exam, but received recognition for his performance as a try-scorer in the loss against Scotland. Feyi-Waboso joined Exeter after the administration of Wasps, and recently began playing more regularly for the Chiefs this season after being on loan at Taunton.

Borthwick is set to reveal his team on Thursday, and Mitchell’s anticipated return is a major advantage. The scrum-half from Northampton overcame an infected wound on his leg to start in matches against Italy and Wales. However, he later suffered a knee injury, leading to concerns that he would be unable to play in the rest of the competition. Despite missing the loss against Scotland, Mitchell is now prepared to rejoin the team and reignite his partnership with Ford in the half-back position.

Smith is back to full health after sitting out all three of England’s previous matches due to a calf injury that was sustained a few days before their first game against Italy. Borthwick may have thought about starting him, but Smith has not played at all since Harlequins beat Ulster in the Champions Cup on January 20th. Fin Smith, who has been acting as a back-up fly-half during the championship, has been unable to practice since last week.

It is anticipated that Martin’s upcoming inclusion will give a much-needed lift to England, particularly given his strong display off the bench in their match against Scotland, with the exception of one mishandled restart. His presence would bring added strength to the forward unit and he is poised to make his first start for England since his outstanding performance in the World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa. In order to accommodate Martin, it is projected that Ethan Roots will be removed from the starting lineup.

Source: theguardian.com