England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield has stated that wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is to the current squad what Jason Robinson was to the team that won the World Cup. "He is our Jason Robinson," said Sinfield, who played rugby 13 against Robinson.
Feyi-Waboso has scored nine tries in 17 appearances for England since his debut against Italy in 2024. However, injuries have frequently kept him out of action. He missed the 2025 Six Nations due to a shoulder injury, and his participation in the 2026 tournament was ended by an injury sustained in training before the first-round win over Wales. He returned this summer and scored tries in victories over Fiji and Argentina.
In Sunday's match against Australia, which England won 45:22, Feyi-Waboso injured his ankle in the 32nd minute. He remained on the field until half-time, limping, before being substituted. Sinfield said that the player, who is studying medicine, wanted to stay on the field, and that this desire prevailed in the decision to keep him on. "You have to find a balance because the player tells you he wants to try to run it out," Sinfield said. "You cannot film anyone on the grass, so you look with your eyes. I think it is right that we, as coaches, listen to the players."
Sinfield also highlighted the importance of cooperation between England and Feyi-Waboso's club, Exeter. "That cooperation will be very important because those lads play a lot of rugby," he said. "Ensuring they are ready for big games will be very important." England has the final say on the fitness and readiness of centrally contracted players like Feyi-Waboso, and there have been disagreements with Exeter in the past regarding his treatment. Relations have improved since then, and England approved his return for the June Premiership final just three weeks after he sustained a facial fracture.
England will be without Ollie Chessum, George Furbank and Seb Atkinson against Japan on Saturday. Flanker Tom Curry has also, like Feyi-Waboso, lost the entire autumn campaign after aggravating a long-standing hip problem. Twenty-year-old Noah Caluori of Saracens has been called up instead of Feyi-Waboso; he made his England debut in July and scored a try against Fiji. The England vs Japan match in the Nations Championship takes place on Saturday 14 November at 16:40 GMT at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, with coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Sport website and app.
Sinfield was knighted last month for services to both codes of rugby and for fundraising and raising awareness of motor neuron disease. His friend and former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow died from the disease in June 2024 at the age of 41. Sinfield has raised more than 13 million pounds for charities supporting those affected and seeking a cure. Last month, he ran seven ultramarathons in seven days, and now plans to run seven marathons in seven days in New Zealand and Australia at the end of May to aid global research collaboration. NRL star Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles recently received diagnoses, which has raised the profile of the disease in Australia. "It has been a great journey and it is important that we continue because there is no cure," Sinfield said. "We must continue."
