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England squad vs Australia: Spencer and Randall replace Mitchell

Ben Spencer and Harry Randall join Steve Borthwick's 36-man group, with fly-half Fin Smith given until Wednesday 4 November to prove his fitness.

By RuckBee Newsroom1 min read
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England have lost two scrum-halves before the Australia Test, and Ben Spencer of Bath and Harry Randall of Bristol have been called up by head coach Steve Borthwick to fill the gap in his 36-man squad.

Northampton's Alex Mitchell is ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered in the win over Gloucester on Saturday 31 October 2026. Uncapped Archie McParland is also out, with a calf injury picked up in England's training camp last week. McParland could return for the Japan or New Zealand Tests, according to BBC Sport and The Independent.

Leicester's Jack van Poortvliet is expected to start at No 9 against Australia, reported The Guardian and BBC Sport, with Randall or Spencer on the bench.

Smith fitness test

At fly-half, first-choice Fin Smith has a calf problem and has until Wednesday 4 November 2026 to prove his fitness. George Ford, Marcus Smith and Charlie Atkinson are the alternatives.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Seb Atkinson are in the squad after proving their fitness from injury. In the forwards, Theo Dan replaces injured Bath hooker Kepu Tuipulotu.

What comes next

Borthwick said: "These fixtures take on added significance this autumn as they represent our final opportunity to face southern hemisphere opposition before next year’s World Cup"

Sources

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