England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth on Immanuel Feyi-Waboso: "He felt a bit groggy, so he is unfortunately ruled out of the game, but we don't take any risks with that sort of stuff. There was no major incident. He had a knock and didn't feel quite right so he reported the symptoms"
Tuesday 12 March 2024 19:27, UK
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been ruled out of England's Guinness Six Nations clash with France on Saturday after self-reporting symptoms of concussion.
Feyi-Waboso took a head knock in the 23-22 victory over Ireland that has revived England's title hopes and while he finished the match - making a crucial carry for big metres in the lead-up to Marcus Smith's match-winning drop-goal - he later began to feel the effects of a possible concussion.
The 21-year-old wing was a likely starter in the climax to the tournament in Lyon after making a big impact on his full debut against Andy Farrell's men.
"Manny felt a bit groggy, so he is unfortunately ruled out of the game, but we don't take any risks with that sort of stuff," attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.
England have ruled out replacing Feyi-Waboso in their 36-man training squad, with Elliot Daly likely to replace him on the wing against France.
Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso, who was persuaded to pledge allegiance to the Red Rose by Steve Borthwick in January, made his debut in the opener against Italy and then crossed against Scotland before impressing against Ireland on Saturday.
"There was no major incident. He had a knock and didn't feel quite right, so he reported the symptoms and then was removed accordingly," Wigglesworth said.
"He's obviously gutted but being the smart lad he is, he reported his symptoms. He did the right thing.
"It had been building for Manny. You have to integrate these players carefully and I think Steve did that well in how he exposed him to Test rugby so he was ready to fly.
"He played really well, got his hands on the ball and did what we asked him to do and brought his talents.
"It's very disappointing for him as I know how desperate he was to play again and how much he enjoyed his first start."
Sky Sports' Megan Wellens...
"When analysing how England's secured their huge win over Ireland, Feyi-Waboso was one of the first names on everyone's lips.
"Destructive power combined with rapid pace and a keen eye for ingenuity, his first start on the wing showed why England's attacking future is in good hands.
"He was a danger man that Ireland didn't know how to handle and it is certain that, if he had been heading to face France, the French side would be looking at any way they could to shut him down.
"Now, England will have to slot someone into a young back three that is willing to play with the carefree attitude Feyi-Waboso embodied alongside George Furbank and Tommy Freeman."
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