HUGHES OUT OF 6 NATIONS

Wasps No 8 sidelined for months

NATHAN HUGHEs is set to miss England’s entire six Nations campaign with a knee injury. Wasps Fiji- born No 8, who started the autumn Tests against Argentina and Australia, suffered medial ligament damage during his club’s Champions Cup victory over la rochelle at the ricoh Arena on sunday.

Hughes, 26, does not require surgery but he is facing a long period of rehabilitation that is likely to prevent him from playing again until the end of February.

England’s six Nations starts on February 4 and concludes with back-to-back weekend fixtures in mid-March, so at this stage the prospect of England coach Eddie Jones being able to recall Hughes, even for the climax of the championship, appears remote.

Meanwhile, Wasps are due to find out the extent of Elliot Daly’s injury this afternoon. The lions and England back twisted his ankle against la rochelle and is another whose six Nations participation may be in doubt.

leicester reacted with a mixture of relief and irritation yesterday after Manu Tuilagi had a foul play charge against him thrown out at a disciplinary hearing in london.

The 26-year-old England centre was cited by match commissioner Jeff Marks for an alleged dangerous tackle on Munster flanker Chris Cloete during last sunday’s Champions Cup encounter at Welford road. The game marked Tuilagi’s comeback from his latest injury setback but he was left facing the possibility of a ban, which would have jeopardised his hopes of a swift Test recall.

Instead, after several current and past players lambasted the decision to cite him, a three-man panel ruled that it had been a yellow- card offence and no further action was required. Head coach Matt o’Connor said: ‘ He won’t miss any rugby, so that’s incredibly pleasing.

‘There was no malice, there was no intent to hurt the bloke. It was a very legitimate tackle. It’s caused unnecessary disruption. The citing commissioners need to be a bit more accurate and accountable.’