Alex Mitchell will miss England’s entire Nations Championship campaign after a scan confirmed that his latest hamstring injury will keep him out for the autumn. The Northampton scrum-half had already been ruled unavailable for Sunday’s opener against Australia, a setback for head coach Steve Borthwick.
Jack van Poortvliet is expected to start at scrum-half against the Wallabies, with Ben Spencer and Harry Randall competing for a place on the bench. Mitchell’s injury is his fourth hamstring problem this year. Similar injuries affected him during the Six Nations, at an England camp in May and in the summer Test against Fiji.
Borthwick is also monitoring Fin Smith’s fitness ahead of naming the team. The Northampton fly-half missed last weekend’s win over Gloucester with a calf problem, but England hope he will recover in time to face Australia. Mitchell sustained his latest injury in that match.
England are also without Bath back-rowers Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill, as well as rookie hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, who has a knee problem. Bristol centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg is absent after suffering a concussion against Northampton this season.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.