Key England duo set to overlook out on conflict with New Zealand
- Alex Mitchell is expected to miss out on the squad while Henry Slade is a 50/50
- It presents a backline headache for Borthwick ahead of the New Zealand clash
England are facing the spectre of significant back-line disruption as Alex Mitchell is set to miss the autumn series opener against New Zealand at Twickenham – and Henry Slade is also a doubt.
The 27-year-old Mitchell established himself as Steve Borthwick’s first-choice scrum-half during the World Cup last year and has become a familiar fixture in the starting XV ever since. But he has not played since the summer tour of Japan and New Zealand, which ended three months ago, and a persistent neck problem is expected to see him miss out on a place in the 36-man training squad named by head coach Borthwick today.
Meanwhile, Slade, the veteran Exeter centre, is regarded as ’50-50’ to be fit for the clash with the All Blacks, as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The 31-year-old’s supreme club performances after being overlooked for the World Cup saw him emerge as a key man in this year’s Six Nations and on the end-of-season tour, but now there is a danger that he will be absent from the November opener, leaving a void in the England midfield.
Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby, provided an update on Mitchell yesterday, saying: ‘He had an injection and we’re waiting to see how effective that’s been. As frustrating as it is, there’s no definitive timeline. We’re sat on our hands a little bit waiting to see how he is.
‘He is improving, but improving very slowly. The fact he hasn’t played for quite a period of time and it (recovery) is very slow means I can’t see that turning around in the short term. It’s how we can accelerate that process without hurting anything from a long-term point of view.’
Alex Mitchell is expected to miss out on England’s 36-man squad which will be named today
Henry Slade is seen as a 50/50 as he recovers from shoulder surgery with no ‘definite timeline’
It presents upheaval for Steve Borthwick ahead of England’s Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand at Twickenham in November
Mitchell is likely to be omitted from England’s training squad, but invited into camp for medical assessments. Meanwhile, the door has opened for a three-way scrap between Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet, for the No 9 shirt.
Bath captain Spencer was a replacement when England last played, in New Zealand, so he could be a front-runner to start against the same opposition on November 2. But Randall and Van Poortvliet have also been in fine form, for Bristol and Leicester respectively, meaning Borthwick will face a dilemma. He has good options, but as a selector he advocates continuity, so the loss of Mitchell for at least the campaign opener is a major setback.
Prospects are better for another of the recent half-back casualties, Sale No 10 George Ford. He is on the mend and set to be named in the squad today, with a possible option of being released from the England camp to prove his fitness by playing against Bath at The Rec on October 26.
Alex Sanderson, Sale’s director of rugby, said: ‘He wants to get back to playing and he is very close. He won’t be available this weekend, but he is training next week. He’s probably about 10 days (away from a comeback).’
