Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, England’s prolific however injury-prone wing, is the 2026 workforce’s equal of Rugby World Cup winner Jason Robinson says assistant coach Kevin Sinfield.
Feyi-Waboso has scored 9 tries in 17 appearances for England since making his Take a look at debut in opposition to Italy in 2024.
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Nevertheless, his progress with England has been checked by a string of accidents.
He missed the 2025 Six Nations with a shoulder damage, whereas his 2026 match was ended by a hamstring damage sustained in coaching earlier than England’s opening-round win over Wales.
He returned this summer time, scoring in wins over Fiji and Argentina, however suffered an autumn-ending ankle damage within the first half of Sunday’s match in opposition to Australia.
Robinson, whose acceleration and side-step introduced him 28 tries in 51 appearances for England between 2001 and 2007, tore his hamstring within the Rugby World Cup last defeat by South Africa in his last Take a look at.
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“He’s our Jason Robinson,” mentioned Sinfield, who performed in opposition to Robinson in the course of the pair’s days in rugby league.
“When you might have a participant who’s that explosive and that highly effective typically a run of accidents simply occurs.
“He is throughout all the things to do together with his physique and hopefully we get him again firing as quickly as we will.
“That collaboration [between England and Feyi-Waboso’s club Exeter] goes be actually essential as a result of these guys play a whole lot of rugby.
“Ensuring they’re match for these massive video games goes to be actually essential.”
England have the ultimate say over the health and conditioning of centrally-contracted gamers reminiscent of Feyi-Waboso, however there have been disagreements up to now with Exeter over his remedy.
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Relations have since improved with England signing off Fey-Waboso’s return for June’s Prem last, solely three weeks after he suffered a facial fracture.
Feyi-Waboso performed on after struggling his ankle damage within the thirty second minute of Sunday’s 45-22 win over the Wallabies, hobbling his solution to half-time earlier than being changed.
Sinfield mentioned that the will of Feyi-Waboso, who’s learning medication, to remain on the pitch swayed the choice to maintain him on.
“It is getting the stability proper, as a result of the participant is telling you he desires to try to run it off,” mentioned Sinfield.
“You may’t scan anybody on the grass, so that you’re taking a look at it along with your eyes. I believe it is solely proper for us, as coaches, that we take heed to gamers.”
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England might be with out Ollie Chessum, George Furbank and Seb Atkinson for Saturday’s match in opposition to Japan, whereas flanker Tom Curry has, like Feyi-Waboso, been dominated out of your complete autumn marketing campaign after he aggravated a long-standing hip difficulty.
Saracens’ 20-year-old Noah Caluori, who made a try-scoring England debut in opposition to Fiji in July, has been referred to as up in Feyi-Waboso’s place.
£13m and counting – Sinfield targeted on newest MND drive
SInfield’s most up-to-date problem culminated in his delivering the Tremendous League trophy to Previous Trafford for the Grand Ultimate [Getty Images]
Sinfield was knighted final month for his companies to each codes of rugby and for elevating cash and consciousness about motor neurone illness.
Sinfield’s buddy and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow died from MND in June 2024 on the age of 41.
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Sinfield has raised greater than £13m for charities concerned in making an attempt to help these with the illness and discover a treatment, operating seven extremely marathons in seven days final month in his most up-to-date problem.
He now plans to run seven marathons in seven days in New Zealand and Australia in late Might to assist world collaboration in analysis. NRL star Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles have just lately been recognized, elevating the profile of MND in Australia.
“It has been an incredible journey and it is essential we proceed as a result of there isn’t any treatment,” mentioned Sinfield. “We have to hold on.”