Jack van Poortvliet expected to start against Australia
Fin Smith also an injury concern to Steve Borthwick
Alex Mitchell has been ruled out of all of England’s Nations Championship campaign as a result of his latest hamstring injury, dealing a significant blow to Steve Borthwick before the opener against Australia on Sunday.
The Northampton scrum-half had already been deemed unavailable for the clash against the Wallabies and a scan on Monday has determined that Mitchell will sit out all of England’s autumn campaign.
As a result, Jack van Poortvliet is expected to start at scrum-half against Australia with Ben Spencer and Harry Randall vying for a spot on the bench. For Mitchell, however, it is rotten luck given it is the fourth time this year he has sustained a hamstring injury.
He picked up similar injuries during the Six Nations, at an England camp in May – recovering to take his place in the Northampton squad for the Prem final win against Exeter – and during the summer Test against Fiji. Van Poortvliet was England’s starting scrum-half for the summer given Mitchell’s lack of game time but when fit and firing the Northampton Saint is England’s first-choice No 9.
Borthwick is also waiting on the fitness of Mitchell’s Northampton teammate and half-back partner Fin Smith before naming his side to face Australia. Smith missed Saints’ victory against Gloucester last weekend – the match in which Mitchell sustained his injury – but England are hopeful he will recover from his calf problem in time to take his place in the side.
Already, Borthwick is without the Bath back-rowers Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill while the club’s rookie hooker Kepu Tuipulotu is also missing with a knee problem. Bristol’s centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg is also absent after sustaining a concussion against Northampton this season.
