ROME, Italy — England are optimistic Alex Mitchell shall be match for his or her Six Nations opener in opposition to Eire, however amid a harmful harm report from the weekend’s rugby, head coach Steve Borthwick desires uncapped back-row Henry Pollock to convey his fierce competitiveness to the squad after he was known as up on Tuesday.
Borthwick was in Rome on Tuesday for the boys’s Six Nations launch and delivered a blended harm replace after a bruising weekend of European rugby. Final yr’s captain Jamie George will certainly miss their journey to Eire for his or her Championship opener on Feb. 1 with a hamstring harm, and Borthwick expects him to be out for round two to 3 weeks.
England are additionally ready on additional data round Alex Coles’ harm however hopes that would a “matter of weeks,” in response to Borthwick, whereas Harlequins back-rower Alex Dombrandt has injured his calf and is out for round 4 weeks.
The prognosis on Jack van Poortvliet is a bit unsure however Borthwick mentioned he hopes he shall be sidelined for a most of 4 weeks, and the coaches are optimistic Mitchell shall be match to coach subsequent week after hurting his knee on the weekend.
“Alex clearly established himself because the first-choice No. 9 on the World Cup and thru 2024, we actually noticed him develop as a Check participant,” Borthwick mentioned.
“You possibly can see the impact Alex has on the Northampton workforce in addition to the England workforce. We’re very optimistic that he shall be out there subsequent week and he is been taking part in rather well. He’s clearly essential to the way in which we need to play. We all know that, on this championship, the breakdown goes to be hard-fought, so getting that ball away goes to be very, essential to us.”
Borthwick added on the accidents: “You all the time anticipate there’s going to be modifications. You have to adapt. That is why you’ve gotten your depth charts. We had a day in as a [wider] squad about 10 days in the past and a very good variety of gamers have been current who I hadn’t chosen within the authentic Six Nations squad final week. Folks should round what we’re making an attempt to do.”
With these 5 injured, Borthwick has known as up Gloucester’s Arthur Clark to cowl Coles, Northampton’s Curtis Langdon for George, Sale’s Raffi Quirke for Van Poortvliet, Bathtub’s Ben Spencer for Mitchell and Northampton’s Pollock for Dombrandt.
Pollock has impressed for his membership facet this season and gained World Rugby’s under-20 Championship final summer season. “While you noticed [Pollock] come on on the weekend, in a giant European fixture [for Northampton], he performed with fierce competitiveness. It’s all about profitable for him — discovering a method to assist his workforce win,” Borthwick mentioned.
“This can be a younger man, with an enormous competitiveness. That is what we wish within the England squad. He was shut to creating the unique squad, however the back-row is vastly aggressive for us. And I would like the back-rowers to have the ability to compete, actually compete. The extent of the back-row within the Six Nations is unbelievable. They should run, hit and hyperlink with assault and he does that. We now have some good back-rowers who do this, and I am wanting ahead to working with him.”
England’s revised squad in full:
Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester), Arthur Clark (Gloucester), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ben Curry (Sale), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Ted Hill (Bathtub), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Curtis Langdon (Northampton), George Martin (Leicester), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Will Stuart (Bathtub), Tom Willis (Saracens).
Backs: Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), George Ford (Sale), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), Ollie Lawrence (Bathtub), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Raffi Quirke (Sale), Harry Randall (Bristol), Tom Roebuck (Sale), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton), Fin Smith (Northampton), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bathtub), Freddie Steward (Leicester).
Persevering with rehabilitation in camp: Alex Mitchell (Northampton)
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