SARACENS SCRUM-HALF Ben Spencer has been called up to the England squad as an injury replacement and is set to feature off the bench in next Saturday’s World Cup final.
The three-times capped halfback replaces Willi Heinz, who suffered a hamstring injury after coming on as a replacement in yesterday’s stunning semi-final win over New Zealand.
With England boss Eddie Jones having only selected starting scrum-half Ben Youngs and Heinz in his original 31-man World Cup squad, Spencer is now in line to feature as a substitute in next weekend’s decider.
27-year-old Spencer made his England debut on their 2018 tour of South Africa, winning two caps against the Boks, with his most recent appearance coming off the bench against Scotland in this year’s Six Nations. Spencer has yet to start a game for England.
Losing Heinz is a blow for Jones’ England, but Spencer is highly-regarded and earned Saracens’ starting number nine shirt last season.
Spencer was part of England’s pre-World Cup training camps over the summer but missed out on selection for the initial 31-man squad as Jones opted for only two scrum-halves.
Now, Spencer could end up with a World Cup winners’ medal.