Marcus Smith on bench for England as preparations to face Tonga hit by Covid

England are waiting on the results of PCR tests after suffering a Covid-19 scare before their opening autumn fixture against Tonga on Saturday. Eddie Jones has already seen his best-laid plans hit with Marcus Smith deemed ready only for a place on the bench at Twickenham and England face further disruption after a member of the support staff returned a positive result.

That result came from a lateral flow test with the individual immediately put into isolation at England’s training base in Bagshot. The entire playing squad and the rest of the non-playing staff returned negative lateral flow test results but were not due to learn the results of additional PCR tests until Friday morning.

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The Rugby Football Union insisted Covid protocols were being followed and while Jones’s team announcement was briefly delayed, his players were able to train. Jones said he was “cautiously optimistic” his side’s preparations would not be further affected but a glut of positive PCR tests could yet wreak further disruption.

Given that the playing squad and staff are above the 85% double vaccination threshold, social distancing measures have been relaxed for this campaign, in line with the guidelines designed by the Six Nations, who are overseeing the Autumn Nations Series. According to those protocols, all players and staff are to take three lateral flow tests every week with the third and final one being done on a Friday, but the positive result led to an extra round of PCR tests.

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“One of our backroom staff tested positive on the lateral flow, so we had to test all the players, test the rest of the staff, and do PCR tests,” said Jones. “But training was then able to proceed as normal and at this stage we are cautiously optimistic that everything will be able to proceed as normal.”

Saturday’s fixture is due to be the first full crowd at Twickenham since March 2020 – all attendees must show proof of vaccination, a negative test result or of natural immunity – but those expecting to see the in-form Smith pulling the strings in the No 10 jersey will be disappointed. Jones had recently talked of his plans to pair Smith and Owen Farrell together in a revamped 10-12 partnership but a lower leg injury has severely restricted the Harlequins fly-half in training this week.

Smith is likely to come off the bench and slot in alongside Farrell but of his decision not to start the 22-year-old, Jones said: “Marcus hasn’t been able to train. He just did some light training [on Thursday] and we anticipate he’s going to be able to train fully [on Friday]. Therefore we decided to start with Owen and Marcus will finish for us.

“We’ll get him to sweat a little bit [on Friday] and he’ll be ready to go. When you don’t train it’s hard to run the team around the paddock but we do believe he’s fit. He’s passed all the stages they have now but what he hasn’t been able to do is work the combinations on the field so we felt it was better for him to come off the bench than to start.”

Jones has selected Farrell at fly-half with Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade in an experienced midfield, though there are fresh faces in the backline with Freddie Steward passed fit to take his place at full-back and Adam Radwan selected on the right wing. Both made eye-catching debuts over the summer and have been given the chance to further press their claims.

In the forwards, Tom Curry is selected at No 8 with Alex Dombrandt making do with a place on the bench alongside Smith. With Jamie George starting at hooker, having been left out of the initial squad entirely, the pack has a familiar look to it and in total 10 of the side who started the 2019 World Cup final will line up at Twickenham.

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