Mako faces race to be fit for the World Cup
MAKO VUNIPOLA faces an anxious race to regain full fitness in time for the start of the World Cup and England have been warned that Jack Nowell might not be ready to take part in the tournament.
As Eddie Jones and his squad flew out to Italy yesterday for another ‘heat camp’ in Treviso, they were forced to leave the older Vunipola brother behind for treatment on a torn hamstring. He suffered the setback 17 minutes into his Test comeback, as a replacement against Ireland at Twickenham last Saturday.
For now, the official prognosis remains upbeat. The RFU released a statement which described the Lions prop’s injury as a ‘small tear of scar tissue which will require approximately 10 days of rehabilitation’. England fly to Tokyo 10 days from now, on September 8. Jones will need to see proof that Mako is on course for a full recovery in good time to be ready for the opening fixture against Tonga in Sapporo on September 22.
The concern is that Saracens’ world-class loosehead has incurred damage in the precise area where he required surgery after his season ended in painful fashion during the Champions Cup Final in mid-May.
If he travels to Japan as planned, he will be going into the World Cup with just 17 minutes of action to his name in four months. Taking him, therefore, will be a gamble, but at his best he is a supreme asset so Jones may decide he is worth the risk.
At this stage, the head coach will be relieved that, in choosing five props in his tournament squad of 31, he defied convention by selecting three on the loosehead side and just two tightheads. While England have called up Ben Moon of Exeter to join them in Treviso, they have Joe Marler and Ellis Genge at their disposal. Meanwhile, Nowell’s predicament is now a matter of grave concern.
Exeter’s electric runner — an option on the wing, at full back or even in midfield — has not played since injuring his ankle in the Premiership Final in May. He was hoping to be fit for England’s last World Cup warm-up against Italy in Newcastle on September 6, but the outlook appears bleak.
‘I think he’s going to be touch and go for involvement in the World Cup,’ Exeter’s director of rugby Rob Baxter told the BBC yesterday.
His condition is adding to the strain on England’s back-three resources. Chris Ashton withdrew from the training squad for personal reasons and Jones selected Bath’s uncapped former Sevens player, Ruaridh McConnochie, in his 31-man squad but niggles have ruled him out of a Test debut so far this month.
At present, England have four fit players to cover these three positions — Elliot Daly, Jonny May, Anthony Watson and Joe Cokanasiga. Daly and Cokanasiga have started all three of the warm-up matches so far.
Ideally, Jones would wish to rotate his personnel in this area, but he may be denied that luxury.