Fin Smith faces a crucial practice session on Wednesday as he aims to prove his fitness for England's Nations Championship opener against Australia at Allianz Stadium. The fly-half is set to train with his international teammates for the first time since injuring his calf during Northampton's defeat to Leicester on October 24.

England's optimism grows as Smith progresses through each recovery stage, potentially allowing him to participate in Sunday's match. Head coach Steve Borthwick will announce the team on Friday, giving Smith two full training sessions to demonstrate his readiness.

Should Smith not receive the green light, Test centurion George Ford and Harlequins' Marcus Smith will vie for the No 10 jersey, showcasing a clash of experience versus form.

Tommy Freeman, Smith's Northampton teammate, expressed confidence, stating, "Fin is really good and he's tracking nicely. He's doing the right stuff with the physios."

England faces additional challenges with Alex Mitchell ruled out for the entire Nations Championship due to a hamstring injury. This injury occurred during Northampton's 28-14 victory over Gloucester and requires weeks of rehabilitation, sidelining him for matches against Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. With another scrum-half, Archie McParland, also unavailable, England has added Ben Spencer and Harry Randall to their squad.

Freeman is expected to play on the wing, a position where he has found success in recent matches against Fiji and Argentina. He remarked, "Playing there and having that continuity is probably where I'm very comfortable, but I'll always have the ability to go into midfield if needs be."