England ready to unleash ‘impressive’ Feyi-Waboso – Borthwick،
England hope winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will add some much-needed power to their attack against Ireland in the Six Nations on Saturday when he makes his first Test start at Twickenham.
England have scored six tries so far in this year's Championship, nine fewer than Ireland, who are aiming to become the first team in the Six Nations era to win back-to-back Grand Slams.
Feyi-Waboso came off the bench to score in the 30-21 defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh last month, and manager Steve Borthwick is confident the 21-year-old can carry that form into his first start.
“So far in this Six Nations he has progressed brilliantly and he has deserved this selection,” Borthwick said.
“I think the mix of players is important. Manny came on the pitch two weeks ago and has had an incredible impact. He's a player who wants the ball, who wants to carry the ball and get it over the line. gain for the team.
“When young guys come in and have an impact on a team, it’s very, very impressive.”
Captain Jamie George was equally impressed with the young Exeter Chiefs winger.
“He's ready – he's more than ready. You've seen that in his time on the pitch so far in the Six Nations,” George said.
“He’s an incredible talent, but the maturity that we saw in Manny is something that really impressed me.
“His willingness to learn, he's eager, you have to constantly push him back. He's so excited about this opportunity, you can see it, and that energy is contagious throughout the team.”
Feyi-Waboso made his debut in the 27-24 win over Italy in February after opting to represent England having also been eligible for Wales.
He was born and raised in Cardiff but qualified for England through his grandmother.
While Feyi-Waboso replaces Elliot Daly on the wing, scrum-half Alex Mitchell returns to the team after missing the Scotland match through injury. He replaces Danny Care, who will win his 100th England cap from the bench.
In another boost to England's attacking potential, fly-half Marcus Smith was named on the bench for his first match of the tournament after recovering from a calf injury.
With everyone in the squad available, Borthwick opted for continuity in his selection with few changes from the team that faced Scotland.
“I think continuity in selection is a very important factor. And as we build this team as we go forward, it's an important factor to consider,” Borthwick said.
“We know in the Scotland game there were mistakes. It's the first time in a long time I've seen the weight of the shirt weigh heavily on the players.
“We made some mistakes and as we made more mistakes we started playing in a different way. I made some changes to the team but I believe in these players, I think these players are determined to put in a performance this weekend.”
