- England have suffered injury setbacks ahead of the opener against Ireland
- Alex Mitchell could be fit with the scrum half expected to be training next week
- Pollock, an England Under-20s star, is one of five call-ups to Borthwick’s squad
England expect Jamie George to recover from injury in time for a revenge mission against Scotland on February 22, after the former captain was among five players ruled out of the start of the Six Nations.
A week after the Saracens hooker was replaced as skipper by Maro Itoje, he was withdrawn from the national squad’s training camp in Girona, northern Spain, with a hamstring injury.
Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell was another leading casualty of matches last weekend, but he is expected to be fit in time for the championship opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
Jack van Poortvliet, Alex Dombrandt and Alex Coles were the others removed from the squad due to medical setbacks.
Borthwick responded by recalling Ben Spencer and Raffi Quirke to fill the scrum-half voids, along with uncapped Gloucester lock Arthur Clark and Northampton hooker Curtis Langdon. But the stand-out addition was the Saints’ back-row sensation Henry Pollock – a mainstay of England’s triumph at the Under 20 World Cup last year.
Reflecting on further untimely setbacks, Borthwick was philosophical at the Six Nations launch event here in the Italian capital, saying ‘you always anticipate changes’ and ‘you’ve got to adapt’.
England expect Jamie George to recover from injury in time to face Scotland on February 22
George suffered a hamstring problem when playing for Saracens this weekend, while Alex Mitchell, right, is expected to be fit for the Championship opener despite an injury
Asked about the extent of George’s injury, he added: ‘Jamie will hopefully be two-three weeks. Hopefully, it’s sooner than that.’ England have back-to-back matches in the opening rounds; Ireland away and France at home, so George’s likely comeback target is the Calcutta Cup fixture in round three.
Despite replacing him as captain, Borthwick was adamant that George’s loss would be felt strongly, saying: ‘He’s a top-class player, a great leader and a fantastic influence around the other players. So, we’re desperately disappointed for us as a squad and for him.
‘I spoke to him yesterday and I got a sense of determination from him down the phone. He’s a fast healer and he’s going to get back ASAP. I’ll be delighted to get him back fully fit. I told him that to pull a hamstring he’d clearly run too fast! I’m disappointed for him but hopefully he’ll be back soon.’
Turning his attentions to the situation with Mitchell – such a key member of England’s best XV since the last World Cup – Borthwick added: ‘Alex Mitchell will be on modified training and rehabilitation this week and should be in training next week.
‘We are very optimistic that he will be available next week and he’s been playing really well. He is clearly crucial to the way we want to play.’
At this stage, the expectation of England’s management is that Leicester scrum-half Van Poortvliet and Harlequins No 8 Dombrandt will both be sidelined for around four weeks.
The injury to the latter has opened the door to Pollock; who is rapidly emerging as one of the country’s brightest rugby prospects. Having just turned 20, he has been rewarded for supreme exploits on behalf of the Saints, to follow his age-group heroics last season.
Borthwick paid tribute to the wonderkid flanker, saying: ‘When he came on at the weekend, in a big European fixture (against Munster), he played with fierce competitiveness. It is all about winning for him. He won the penalty which sealed victory for them (Northampton). I think that shows the character of the young man.
England head coach offered updates on his side’s fitness at the Six Nations launch in Rome
Northampton back row sensation Henry Pollock has been called up to the England squad
‘To go away and play against the Bulls in South Africa, as a young man, he took the game to them. He played in Paris and was taking the game to the opposition there too, against Stade Francais.
‘That tells you this man is a young man who is fiercely competitive, and that’s what I want in this England squad. He was very close to being in the original squad.
‘The back row is highly contested for us. I want back-rowers who are going to really compete.
‘I want back-row forwards who are going to run, who are going to hit and link attack. I think he does that.’
