Itoje in race to make the Six Nations
MaRO iTOJE faces a battle to be fit for the six Nations after it was confirmed the England star has fractured his jaw.
The saracens lock, 23, could be out for a couple of months — throwing his involvement in next year’s championship into serious doubt.
England open their six Nations campaign on February 4 against italy in Rome and itoje would do well to make that match.
as a guide, anthony Watson suffered a similar blow last season. He fractured his jaw in early October 2016 and returned in January, spending the best part of three months out.
itoje’s injury was confirmed yesterday after he had seen a specialist. The World Player of the Year nominee will see a second expert tomorrow to establish how long he will be sidelined.
if itoje’s knock, suffered in saracens’ 20-19 defeat by Harlequins on sunday, is a blow for England it is even more serious for the European champions.
saracens now go into a Champions Cup home and away double-header against Clermont auvergne over the next two weekends without one of their best players.
They are also on a run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions, their worst run for 10 years, and still await the return of Billy Vunipola, who has been out since september with a knee injury.
While itoje’s injury may worry England coach Eddie Jones, he will be delighted that Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi is set to complete his comeback.
Tuilagi tore the cartilage in his knee in september and has since seen a witch doctor in his native samoa, who he claims has banished three ‘lady spirits’ who were apparently causing his injury strife.
But the 26-year-old is back in training and Leicester head coach Matt O’Connor said he could even feature this weekend away at Munster. if not, he will definitely play before Christmas. ‘a fully fit Manu is the best 13 in the world,’ O’Connor said.
‘He is a different level. He is special. He will be involved in the next couple of weeks for sure.
‘There is no such thing as slow and steady with Manu. i have never seen him slow and steady, he doesn’t do that very well!
‘With a game of this magnitude we are weighing up whether we can fit him in the 23. He has worked incredibly hard, he has been in rehab for a long period. it has been a challenge and it is particularly tough for Manu because he enjoys everything that we do.
‘There is nothing we do in the training environment that he does not absolutely adore and put 100 per cent effort into. He enjoys being around the lads.
‘The isolation of rehab and the mundane nature of hard work without any ball in hand is hard. it has been a long time. He wants to put all that behind him and get back with the lads.
‘With the witch doctor’s help we are past this and can all enjoy him around and playing.’
Gloucester, meanwhile, are spending £1million to install a new pitch at Kingsholm for next season — the same artificial-grass hybrid surface which Real Madrid use at their training ground.
and Wasps captain Joe Launchbury has extended his contract which was set to end in the summer. BaTH have been charged by Premiership Rugby for allowing Taulupe Faletau to play for Wales against south africa.
The 12 clubs have an agreement that non-English players should not be released for Test matches outside the agreed three-week international window.
But Bath allowed No 8 Faletau to start in Wales’s 24-22 victory against the springboks on saturday and the West Country club now face a fine or even a points deduction.