Benhard Janse van Rensburg made his unofficial England XV debut in Vannes on Friday night, but England were beaten 35-19 by France XV as a costly handling error denied the Bristol Bears centre a try-scoring entrance.
The South African-born back came on during England’s planned second-half changes and was quickly handed a clear scoring chance under the posts. Instead, the ball slipped from his grasp with France already 28-12 ahead, leaving Steve Borthwick’s side without the immediate response they needed.
England had started brightly through Cadan Murley before Marcus Smith and Max Ojomoh also crossed, but France’s sharper cohesion and finishing carried the non-cap international. Sky Sports reported from Vannes that Janse van Rensburg entered in the 52nd minute, while Noah Caluori also made his first England appearance in the defeat.
England turn toward South Africa opener
The result matters because it came less than three weeks before England’s Nations Championship campaign begins against South Africa on July 4. Borthwick still gained useful minutes for Tom Curry and George Martin, both of whom banked just over 50 minutes, but the wider message was clear: England’s fringe group did not make selection easy.
Janse van Rensburg’s eligibility story has already made him one of the more intriguing names around the squad. This was not a capped Test appearance, but it did give England a first look at how he fits into their midfield plans before the summer squad is finalised.
