Henry Pollock is reported to be in line to start at No. 8 for England against Japan at Twickenham on Saturday, in what would be only his second Test start and his first start in the back row.

The Times reported on Wednesday night that Pollock, Max Ojomoh and Will Joseph will all be drafted into the starting side for the Nations Championship match against Japan, which kicks off at 4.40pm on Saturday 14 November. Head coach Steve Borthwick is expected to confirm the team on Thursday lunchtime, so the selection is reported rather than officially confirmed at the time of writing.

A first start in his preferred position

For Pollock, the match would be his 15th cap, and his first start in the back row since breaking into the senior side. The 21-year-old Northampton Saints back rower has been widely seen as a No. 8, but his first Test start came on the wing. He replaced the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso at half-time against Australia on Sunday and scored twice in two minutes, turning England's 45-22 Nations Championship win over the Wallabies into a personal showcase.

After that match, Borthwick hinted that Pollock could move into the back row, saying he might be needed there and that things can change very quickly. The reported selection suggests the head coach has decided the Japan match is the right time to give Pollock a full run in the position England believe is his true home.

Injury-hit England reshuffle

The reshuffle is driven by injury as much as by form. Feyi-Waboso, England's most dangerous attacking weapon, has been ruled out for the rest of the autumn with the ankle injury he suffered in the first half against Australia. He will miss the Japan and New Zealand Tests and the Nations Championship finals weekend.

Ojomoh is reported to come in at inside centre and Joseph on the wing, as Borthwick uses the Japan fixture to look at players outside his usual starting team before the visit of New Zealand on 21 November. With only eight more Tests until Borthwick settles on his World Cup squad, the match is a chance for Pollock, Ojomoh and Joseph to show they can dominate a Test from the start, rather than make an impact from the bench.

Japan arrive after Wales defeat

Japan, coached by Eddie Jones, Borthwick's predecessor with England, will arrive at Twickenham after a 28-21 defeat by Wales in Cardiff last Saturday. England sit second in the northern hemisphere section of the Nations Championship after their opening win over Australia, and a bonus-point victory over Japan would keep them firmly in the hunt before the All Blacks arrive.

Pollock's rise has been one of the stories of England's autumn. His two tries against Australia came from the wing, but his physicality and carrying have long marked him out as a back-row option. Saturday would test whether he can be an 80-minute player in that role at Test level, not only a finisher who changes a game from the bench.

Sources: The Times and SportsBriefly.