Bath warn England off Underhill

BATH have urged England not to consider their injured flanker Sam Underhill for the end-of-season tour of South Africa, even if he makes a rapid recovery in the next month. The 21-year-old openside ruptured a tendon in his big toe during the Six Nations and has not played since. At the time, Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder suggested that Underhill would be out for around eight weeks, but he is yet to resume training. With a growing casualty list, England head coach Eddie Jones desperately needs reinforcements for the Springbok tour. But Bath coach Toby Booth said: ‘Sam hasn’t even started training yet. ‘He returned to us broken and he’s still at the rehab stage so I’d imagine he’s got a long way to go yet.’ Asked if there was any chance Underhill could take part in England’s tour, Booth added: ‘Not as far as we’re aware. Going away to South Africa is not for the faint-hearted and the under-prepared. Hopefully common sense prevails and they do what is right for England, for us and for Sam.’