England adds two scrum-halves

England head coach Steve Borthwick added Harry Randall of Bristol Bears and Ben Spencer of Bath Rugby to his squad on Monday. The call-ups address a shortage at scrum-half after Alex Mitchell and Archie McParland were ruled out of the autumn opener against Australia.

Mitchell suffered a hamstring injury while playing for the Northampton Saints against Gloucester on Saturday. He will undergo a scan, which places his availability for the second phase of the Nations Championship in doubt. McParland missed the recent 28-14 win at Franklin’s Gardens due to a calf issue sustained during England’s training camp last week. Officials hope he recovers in time to face Japan or New Zealand later this month.

The changes come as first-choice fly-half Fin Smith races against time to recover from a calf strain. The squad, which includes 20 forwards and 16 backs, gathered at the Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park on Monday evening. Borthwick stated that the team looks forward to returning to Allianz Stadium for four Test matches.

These fixtures represent England’s final opportunity to face Southern Hemisphere opposition before next year’s Rugby World Cup. Borthwick noted that Australia has played a substantial amount of Test rugby in recent months, bringing quality and experience to the encounter. The coach described the upcoming match as an exciting challenge for his side.

Spencer played for England during the summer Nations Championship and has recently returned to action from shoulder surgery. Randall last appeared for the national team in the summer of 2025, earning caps as a replacement. Since then, he has featured for England A and cycled in and out of national training camps.

England will face Australia on Sunday at Allianz Stadium. The team will subsequently play Japan and New Zealand in Rounds 5 and 6. Finals Weekend is scheduled from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. ITV1 will broadcast all Nations Championship fixtures live and exclusively.