England’s preparations for their autumn international opener against Australia have been disrupted after Tom Curry sustained an injury during a high-intensity training session on Wednesday. The flanker, who was expected to play a key role in Sunday’s physical encounter, is now considered a significant doubt, forcing head coach Steve Borthwick to reconsider his back-row selection. Who is understood to be desperate to win the physical battle against the Wallabies on Sunday, losing Tom Curry would be a huge blow for Borthwick.
With Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill already unavailable for the series due to injuries, Borthwick has limited options for the No 7 shirt. Ben Curry, Tom’s twin brother, has emerged as the frontrunner to step into the starting lineup. If selected, it would mark Ben’s first start for England since the 2025 summer tour of Argentina and the USA; his international career has been hampered by persistent hamstring issues over the past year. Ben, meanwhile, has not started for England since the 2025 summer tour of Argentina and the USA and has been plagued by long-term hamstring injuries since then.
The England camp remains in a state of flux as Borthwick finalizes his squad ahead of Friday’s official announcement. The team’s recent preparation has been particularly intense, with mini-camp sessions described as ferocious in their physicality. This demanding training has already sidelined players Kepu Tuipulotu and Archie McParland, who have been ruled out of contention for the weekend. Borthwick will finalise his team selection before announcing it on Friday afternoon but as things stand, Ben is in pole position to wear the No7 jersey.
Should Tom Curry be officially withdrawn, Borthwick may look to rotate his bench, with Henry Pollock and Greg Fisilau positioned as potential call-ups. Tom Curry’s absence would be a notable loss, particularly following his standout performance against Australia during last summer’s British & Irish Lions series, where he proved instrumental in the opening Test victory in Brisbane.
