- Published
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, England's prolific but injury-prone wing, is the 2026 team's equivalent of Rugby World Cup winner Jason Robinson says assistant coach Kevin Sinfield.
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Sinfield → publish → Robinson
Feyi-Waboso has scored nine tries in 17 appearances for England since making his Test debut against Italy in 2024.
However, his progress with England has been checked by a string of injuries.
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progress → score → injuries
He missed the 2025 Six Nations with a shoulder injury, while his 2026 tournament was ended by a hamstring injury sustained in training before England's opening-round win over Wales.
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tournament → miss → Wales
He returned this summer, scoring in wins over Fiji and Argentina, but suffered an autumn-ending ankle injury in the first half of Sunday's match against Australia.
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He → return → Australia
Robinson, whose acceleration and side-step brought him 28 tries in 51 appearances for England between 2001 and 2007, tore his hamstring in the Rugby World Cup final defeat by South Africa in his final Test.
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acceleration → bring → Test
"He is our Jason Robinson," said Sinfield, who played against Robinson during the pair's days in rugby league.
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who → say → league
"When you have a player who is that explosive and that powerful sometimes a run of injuries just happens.
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run → have → injuries
"He's across everything to do with his body and hopefully we get him back firing as soon as we can.
"
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we → do → him
That collaboration [between England and Feyi-Waboso's club Exeter] is going be really important because these guys play a lot of rugby.
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guys → go → rugby
"Making sure they're fit for those big games is going to be really important."
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're → make → games
England have the final say over the fitness and conditioning of centrally-contracted players such as Feyi-Waboso, but there have been disagreements in the past with Exeter over his treatment.
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England → have → treatment
Relations have since improved with England signing off Fey-Waboso's return for June's Prem final, only three weeks after he suffered a facial fracture.
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he → improve → fracture
Feyi-Waboso played on after suffering his ankle injury in the 32nd minute of Sunday's 45-22 win over the Wallabies, hobbling his way to half-time before being replaced.
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Waboso → play → time
Sinfield said that the desire of Feyi-Waboso, who is studying medicine, to stay on the pitch swayed the decision to keep him on.
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who → say → him
"It's getting the balance right, because the player is telling you he wants to try and run it off," said Sinfield.
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Sinfield → get → it
"You can't scan anyone on the grass, so you're looking at it with your eyes.
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you → scan → eyes
I think it's only right for us, as coaches, that we listen to players.
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we → think → players
England will be without Ollie Chessum, George Furbank and Seb Atkinson for Saturday's match against Japan, while flanker Tom Curry has, like Feyi-Waboso, been ruled out of the entire autumn campaign after he aggravated a long-standing hip issue.
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he → rule → issue
Saracens' 20-year-old Noah Caluori, who made a try-scoring England debut against Fiji in July, has been called up in Feyi-Waboso's place.
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who → make → place
£13m and counting - Sinfield focused on latest MND drive
Sinfield was knighted last month for his services to both codes of rugby and for raising money and awareness about motor neurone disease.
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Sinfield → count → disease
Sinfield's friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow died from MND in June 2024 at the age of 41.
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friend → die → 41
Sinfield has raised more than £13m for charities involved in attempting to support those with the disease and find a cure, running seven ultra marathons in seven days last month in his most recent challenge.
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Sinfield → raise → challenge
He now plans to run seven marathons in seven days in New Zealand and Australia in late May to help global collaboration in research.
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He → plan → research
NRL star Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles have recently been diagnosed, raising the profile of MND in Australia.
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Arrow → diagnose → Australia
"It's been a great journey and it's important we continue because there's no cure," said Sinfield.
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Sinfield → continue → ?
"We've got to carry on."
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We → get → ?
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