- Player’s shoulder popped out and back in during December’s match versus Sale
- In theory Steve Borthwick has final say but the wing is likely to make the decision
- Feyi-Waboso scored five tries in his first eight Test appearances in a fine 2024
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is grappling with a dilemma this weekend about whether to have surgery on his dislocated shoulder, which would rule him out of the Six Nations.
Mail Sport understands that Exeter’s 22-year-old England wing has been advised that it is a ’50-50 call’ between playing on after rehab or having an operation and accepting that it would mean being out of action for around three months.
As per the terms of the recent club-country PGP deal, national head coach Steve Borthwick has been involved in the deliberations and, in theory, he has the final say about the handling of the situation.
England are understandably keen for Feyi-Waboso to be available for the championship, starting in Dublin on February 1, but it is thought that the decision will be left to the player’s judgement.
Feyi-Waboso was injured early in the Chiefs’ Premiership defeat against Sale in Salford on December 21, when his shoulder popped out and back into its socket. He missed Exeter’s clash with Gloucester – which yielded their first league win of the season – after having a scan which was inconclusive.
A second scan was carried out on Tuesday. A specialist reviewed the case information and held talks with all parties towards the end of the week. Now Feyi-Waboso – who is training to be a doctor – will consider his preferred course of action.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is grappling with a dilemma this weekend about whether to have surgery on his dislocated shoulder
England are understandably keen for Feyi-Waboso to be available for the championship
National head coach Steve Borthwick has been involved in the deliberations and, in theory, he has the final say
If he opts for surgery, he will miss the Six Nations and return in time to ignite his struggling club’s run-in to the end of the season. Losing him would be a major blow to Borthwick.
He was a break-through star of 2024 who scored five tries in his first eight Test appearances, having pledged allegiance to England over the country of his birth, Wales.
Feyi-Waboso was one of only two wings – along with Tommy Freeman – who was handed one of the first batch of 17 Enhanced EPS contracts awarded by Borthwick to players of national importance.
If he is an enforced absentee, Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Roebuck would be the leading contenders to start, although there is a possibility that the head coach may consider naming Freddie Steward on the wing, with Marcus Smith deployed at full-back.
Meanwhile, Sale fly-half George Ford is racing to regain full fitness for the Six Nations, after being injured in the 38-0 win at Bristol.
His director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, told Mail Sport: ‘George has a slight strain to one of the tendons in his groin. He’ll be fine for the Six Nations. He’s probably dodged it (bad injury). Bill Mata sat on him and he’s massive, so he got squished by Mata. His muscle stabilised in his pelvis, but he’s got a very slight strain in his tendon.’
