Fin Smith calf injury leaves England's fly-half plans open before Australia
England fly-half Fin Smith is a doubt for next week's Nations Championship home opener against Australia after damaging a calf in Northampton's match against Leicester on Saturday.
Smith was hurt in the second half of that game, and the severity of the injury is still being assessed. He will not be able to join England's three-day training camp in Bagshot this week. An official update on his condition is due on Tuesday, according to The Guardian.
The fly-half is the No. 10, the player who steers the attack, chooses when to kick and usually takes the kicks at goal. It is a position that can decide close games, so teams tend to plan around one main choice. Smith, who is 24, made his England debut against Italy. He started at fly-half in all three of England's Tests in July.
Steve Borthwick has called up Gloucester's Charlie Atkinson as cover. Atkinson also plays at fly-half. Borthwick's squad also includes Marcus Smith and George Ford, both specialist fly-halves. Marcus Smith's last start at No. 10 for England came against Ireland in Dublin in the opening round of the 2025 Six Nations, so it has been some time since he has run the team in a Test.
Borthwick named a 36-player squad for the camp, and Fin Smith and Charlie Atkinson were both included before the calf problem emerged. The camp is the last full training block before England's first home game of the autumn series.
There is another selection story in the centres. Joe Marchant is back in England contention for the first time since the 2023 World Cup. He rejoined Sale Sharks from Stade Francais, and he will compete with Henry Slade, Max Ojomoh and Fraser Dingwall for the midfield places. Centres are the players who run in the middle of the backline and often make the hard yards in contact.
Several other players are dealing with fitness issues. Bath's Guy Pepper limped off in pain in his club's game against Gloucester last Friday. Benhard van Rensburg has not played since a heavy concussion in Bristol's second Premiership match of the season. Seb Atkinson cannot train this week but has not been ruled out of Gloucester's game at Northampton this weekend.
England's formal squad announcement is due next Monday. That gives the coaching staff a few days to see how Smith's calf responds and whether Charlie Atkinson is ready to step in. Until then, the fly-half question stays open, and the Australia game is still a week away.
