England’s Six Nations Campaign Hit by Sam Underhill Injury

England’s Six Nations campaign has been dealt a blow as flanker Sam Underhill has been ruled out for three months following ankle surgery. The Bath star, who impressed during the 2018 autumn campaign, suffered ankle-ligament damage against Leicester on December 30 and will now miss the entire tournament.

This setback leaves head coach Eddie Jones without one of his key players, but he still has the option of Tom Curry, who has recovered from his own ankle injury. Jones had hoped to have both players competing for the open-side flanker position, but will now have to rely on Curry to fill the void left by Underhill.

Despite this setback, Jones received some positive news with the return of Maro Itoje. The Saracens lock has been named in the second row for their Champions Cup clash with Lyon after missing five matches due to a knee injury. Itoje revealed that he had chipped a bit of the bone leading up to his knee and damaged a ligament, but was able to continue playing through the pain before further examination revealed the extent of the injury.

England will kick off their Six Nations campaign against Ireland in Dublin on February 2, followed by a home fixture against France a week later. With Underhill sidelined, Jones will be hoping that Curry and the returning Itoje can step up to help England defend their title in what promises to be an exciting tournament.