Concussion experts question Tom Curry’s England selection

England’s decision to start Tom Curry against Japan on Sunday just two weeks after he was knocked out against Australia has been questioned by concussion campaigners.

Curry suffered his second concussion of the season against the Wallabies after his head collided with the knee of Australia’s Rob Valetini, before he was later removed from the field.

Curry was previously concussed in Sale’s opening Gallagher Premiership fixture against Harlequins, returning to play on October 11 before his incident against the Wallabies on November 9. Curry also had three concussions in six months in 2022.

Concussion campaigners claim the actions of certain elite sports are undermining the hard work going in to manage concussions at grass-roots level.

Dr Willie Stewart, a neuropathologist who has previously advised World Rugby, did not mention Curry by name but posted on X shortly after the flanker’s return to the England side was announced.

“At a time when we are making great progress in UK-wide concussion management across grass-roots sport it is so important this progress isn’t undermined by elite sport focusing on results over welfare,” said Stewart.

“Unfortunately, some sports just seem unable to read the room or recognise damage their actions can lead to, both for individual players and wider (particularly youth) participants and participation.”

He later commented that a post shared by the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College on paying more attention “to what happens in the months and years after injury” was “timely”, while also suggesting that comments made by concerned supporters were “encouraging regarding success in communicating concussion management and #IfInDoubtSitThemOut to grass roots and viewing public”.

Stewart’s comments followed Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, declaring that Curry was fully fit and available having come through concussion protocols since the incident in the Australia game, having completed his 12-day return-to-play routine.

“The welfare [and] health of players is paramount,” Borthwick said. “He’s gone through all those protocols, a number of different consultations, independent specialist consultations. He feels great, he’s raring to go. The process has been very thorough.”

Borthwick also highlighted that Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the England wing who suffered a concussion in the same game, was not available due to his own return-to-play process.

“I think firstly, every player is always treated on an individual basis and there are certain protocols,” Borthwick added. “Manny was unavailable for selection because he wasn’t ready. And then there’s a conversation with Tom, a player I have so much respect for, about what he wants to do. He’s a player who is desperate to play this weekend.”

Curry is understood to have completed his test after the game and his ‘HIA3’ test 48 hours later while showing no symptoms, before being cleared by an independent concussion consultant on Wednesday of this week ahead of being made available for selection.

Andrew Strawbridge, the England assistant coach, revealed earlier this week that England with Curry had made “some finer adjustments about how he enters contact – both sides of the ball – to keep himself safe”.

Curry’s return is one of two changes made by Borthwick, who stressed that England want “to play fast” against a Japan side who pose a different challenge to the set-piece power and kicking game of South Africa, with George Furbank’s return at full-back in place of the aerially stronger Freddie Steward marking a notable shift in England’s approach.

“When we are in attack, I want incredible pace in the game,” Borthwick said. “I want speed of ball at the breakdown to increase, and I want the players to back their skill sets, to throw the pass, to be willing to throw the pass that will break what are very good defences. And I’m seeing that more and more now. I think you’ve seen it as well.”

Uncapped 20-year-old prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, of Sale, has been named as England’s tighthead on the bench, replacing the 37-year-old Dan Cole. Asked if he has spoken to Cole about possibly retiring from England duty, Borthwick said there had been no indication from the Leicester veteran.

“I want to make sure that Dan Cole can continue being an England player for a long time. I sense no hesitation in him. I think he enjoys being part of the programme,” Borthwick said.

England XV: Furbank; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Isiekwe, Cunningham-South, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.

Japan XV: Matsunaga; Osada, Riley, Fifita, Naikabula; McCurran, Saito; Okabe, Harada, Takeuchi, Waqa, Uluiviti, Shimokawa, Himeno, Makisi.

Replacements: Lee, Morikawa, Tamefusa, Akiyama, Tatafu, Gunter, Fujiwara, Kajimura.

02:11 PM GMT

That’s all from us

England’s team announcement is over but there will be plenty more analysis and insight from Telegraph Sport between now and kick-off at 4.10pm on Sunday.

Until then, goodbye.

02:10 PM GMT

Borthwick on continuity and Opoku-Fordjour

02:08 PM GMT

Borthwick speaks

02:00 PM GMT

This weekend’s fixtures

While we await the thoughts of head coach Steve Borthwick at 2.15pm, let’s have a look at this weekend’s autumn fixtures.

Tonight

France v Argentina, 8.10pm GMT

Saturday

Ireland v Fiji, 3.10pm

Wales v South Africa, 5.40pm

Italy v New Zealand, 8.10pm

Sunday

Scotland v Australia, 1.40pm

England v Japan, 4.10pm

01:52 PM GMT

The captaincy

Was this the time to try someone other than Jamie George?

On the Telegraph Rugby Podcast this week, I suggested that, perhaps, the hooker would be better coming off the bench and assuming the captaincy on arrival.

I wrote it here, too.

But George will continue as skipper against Japan.

01:42 PM GMT

England debutants

01:37 PM GMT

The return of Eddie

‘Without Borthwick, the Eddie Jones years would have fallen apart’

Jones’s Japan returns to Twickenham on Sunday and the Australian saw a talent for coaching in Borthwick which flourished during their time together with both the Cherry Blossoms and England, as Gavin Mairs writes here.

Incidentally, the rumour going around Pennyhill is that Jones has dropped out of his press conference today due to illness. More when we have it.

01:33 PM GMT

Thoughts?

Let us know in the comments!

01:30 PM GMT

Breaking! England team to face Japan

Starting XV: G Furbank; T Freeman, O Lawrence, H Slade, O Sleightholme; M Smith, J van Poortvliet; E Genge, J George (c), W Stuart, M Itoje, G Martin, T Curry, S Underhill, B Earl.

Replacements: L Cowan-Dickie, F Baxter, A Opoku-Fordjour, N Isiekwe, C Cunningham-South, H Randall, F Smith, T Roebuck.

Talking points

• Tom Curry is straight back in despite two concussions in seven weeks - Cunningham-South on the bench;

• Freddie Steward dropped and George Furbank straight back in;

• Asher Opoku-Fordjour replaces Dan Cole as tighthead replacement on the bench;

• Fin Smith replaces George Ford in the No 22 jersey;

• Tom Roebuck other back sub with Harry Randall.

01:22 PM GMT

Who would you like to see given a go?

Let us know in the comments!

01:13 PM GMT

Marcus Smith

We are all expecting him to be named in the fly-half shirt, aren’t we?

Dropping him would be exceedingly harsh, but here Charlie Morgan analyses why he has not quite made the No 10 jersey his own yet.

01:07 PM GMT

Asher Opoku-Fordjour

Last night, Telegraph Sport reported that the 20-year-old Sale prop would come off the bench against Japan on Sunday.

Sale see him as a tighthead but England have previously said they see Opoku-Fordjour as a loosehead.

At 1.30pm today, when Steve Borthwick names his team, we should get more clarity.

01:02 PM GMT

Will Borthwick ring the changes?

Can England finally end their losing run and finish the autumn on an upbeat note?

Steve Borthwick’s men are overwhelming favourites to put a stop to their five-Test losing run against opponents ranked 13th in the world having already fallen to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa at Twickenham (Allianz Stadium) this month.

England’s inability to score points in the final quarter has keen key to their downfall, adding to the sense of frustration given that in each defeat they have been in a strong position with 20 minutes to go.

Tom Curry has returned to the squad, but will he start after suffering concussion issues? Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has lost his own race to be fit after both players were concussed in the 42-37 defeat by Australia in the second match of the series, ruling them out of Saturday’s 29-20 loss to South Africa.

Curry replaced Charlie Ewels in the group that assembled at England’s Surrey training base on Tuesday with Cadan Murley called up as a replacement for Elliot Daly, who is struggling with an unspecified injury.

Apart from the change enforced by Daly’s absence and the return of Curry, Borthwick has retained the same players who have been present throughout the autumn.

England must topple Japan to avoid a whitewash this month and even with Eddie Jones’ side ranked 13th in the global standings, Borthwick is likely to make only minor changes to his starting XV.

Follow the announcement live here...