England's rugby squad faces another challenge as they prepare for their upcoming Six Nations bout against Italy, with key centre Ollie Lawrence sidelined due to a persistent knee injury. Despite treatments aimed at speeding his recovery, the 26-year-old Bath powerhouse won’t make it to the pitch at Rome's Stadio Olimpico this Saturday.
The setback follows Lawrence's absence from early Six Nations games against Wales and Scotland, though he did play in England’s recent defeat by Ireland. Unfortunately, Lawrence missed last week's training camp and has been officially dropped from the squad after specialist consultations deemed him unfit for the upcoming game.
With Lawrence out, England’s coach Steve Borthwick is forced to reshuffle his backline. Northampton Saints' Tommy Freeman is likely to reclaim his spot as the outside centre, a position he held in earlier tournament matches. Alternatives such as Henry Slade from Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester's Seb Atkinson remain viable options, although Max Ojomoh, despite his impressive performance in the Autumn Nations Series, has not been called up.
"Alex has been scanned and seen the relevant specialists. He’ll be out for a number of weeks, unfortunately, so won’t feature in the remainder of this championship."
This quote from Borthwick not only highlights Lawrence’s plight but also reflects the broader challenges England faces, with Alex Mitchell also sidelined due to injury. His spot against Italy will be filled by Leicester Tigers' Jack van Poortvliet, bolstered by the addition of Raffi Quirke from Sale Sharks to the squad.
The revised line-up sees a mix of seasoned players and emerging talent as England seeks to regain its footing in the Six Nations. The forwards will include Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Trevor Davison, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, Emmanuel Iyogun, Jack Kenningham, George Kloska, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, and Bevan Rodd. The backs are bolstered by Henry Arundell, Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Cadan Murley, Raffi Quirke, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Fin Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward, and Jack van Poortvliet.
As England recalibrates and pushes forward, the team remains focused on overcoming these disruptions and making a strong showing in Rome, aiming to bring some stability back to their campaign.
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England's rugby squad faces another challenge as they prepare for their upcoming Six Nations bout against Italy, with key centre Ollie Lawrence sidelined due to a persistent knee injury. Despite treatments aimed at speeding his recovery, the 26-year-old Bath powerhouse won’t make it to the pitch at Rome's Stadio Olimpico this Saturday.
The setback follows Lawrence's absence from early Six Nations games against Wales and Scotland, though he did play in England’s recent defeat by Ireland. Unfortunately, Lawrence missed last week's training camp and has been officially dropped from the squad after specialist consultations deemed him unfit for the upcoming game.
With Lawrence out, England’s coach Steve Borthwick is forced to reshuffle his backline. Northampton Saints' Tommy Freeman is likely to reclaim his spot as the outside centre, a position he held in earlier tournament matches. Alternatives such as Henry Slade from Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester's Seb Atkinson remain viable options, although Max Ojomoh, despite his impressive performance in the Autumn Nations Series, has not been called up.
"Alex has been scanned and seen the relevant specialists. He’ll be out for a number of weeks, unfortunately, so won’t feature in the remainder of this championship."
This quote from Borthwick not only highlights Lawrence’s plight but also reflects the broader challenges England faces, with Alex Mitchell also sidelined due to injury. His spot against Italy will be filled by Leicester Tigers' Jack van Poortvliet, bolstered by the addition of Raffi Quirke from Sale Sharks to the squad.
The revised line-up sees a mix of seasoned players and emerging talent as England seeks to regain its footing in the Six Nations. The forwards will include Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Trevor Davison, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, Emmanuel Iyogun, Jack Kenningham, George Kloska, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, and Bevan Rodd. The backs are bolstered by Henry Arundell, Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Cadan Murley, Raffi Quirke, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Fin Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward, and Jack van Poortvliet.
As England recalibrates and pushes forward, the team remains focused on overcoming these disruptions and making a strong showing in Rome, aiming to bring some stability back to their campaign.