England will on Wednesday name Bath’s rugby-playing soldier Semesa Rokoduguni in their squad for next month’s autumn internationals. The Fijian-born wing, a lance-corporal in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, will be among a 33-man squad announced by Stuart Lancaster ahead of England’s opening November Test against New Zealand in just over a fortnight.
The uncapped Rokoduguni, whose previous experience of big crowds at Twickenham has been in the annual Army v Navy fixture, has been a consistent threat for Bath this season and his club coach Mike Ford is backing him to succeed at the highest level. “I think you have to play him. You’ve got to put him out there and see if he can step up to the level. He’s certainly been the form winger over the last seven games … he’s been exceptional this year.”
There is growing competition for England’s wing positions but the 27-year-old Rokoduguni describes himself as “pretty confident with the way I’m playing.” Ford will advise England’s coaches not to clutter his mind with technical detail and simply encourage him to play his natural running game. “He’s a freestyle, free-spirit rugby player and that’s what makes him so exciting.”
The Bath centre Jonathan Joseph and Exeter’s Henry Slade are also set to be added to Lancaster’s squad on Sunday. Joseph is poised to replace Manu Tuilagi, who will miss the autumn series with a groin problem, while Slade will offer precautionary cover for Kyle Eastmond. The Bath centre has a slight rib injury but his club expect him to be fit again next week. With Owen Farrell, George Ford and Stephen Myler set to be the squad’s three fly-halves, Ford senior hopes his son will be chosen by Lancaster to start at least one of the four autumn Tests at Twickenham. “You’d think he’ll give somebody a start this autumn apart from Owen Farrell.”