England have been hit by the loss of their vice-captain, Jamie George, for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on 1 February, with Alex Mitchell also a doubt for the Dublin showdown. Hooker George suffered a hamstring injury in Saracens’ Champions Cup defeat by Castres on Sunday.
The Northampton scrum-half Mitchell sustained a knee problem against Munster on Saturday but could yet feature against Ireland after being taken to the squad’s pre-championship training camp in Girona to continue his rehabilitation.
An attritional weekend of European action has meant the Northampton lock Alex Coles, Leicester scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and Harlequins No 8 Alex Dombrandt ruled out of contention for England.
