DYLAN HURTLEY

Skipper joins injury list in fresh blow to Jones ahead of Paris crunch

DYLAN HARTLEY has a calf strain and is a doubt to captain England against France on Saturday.

Sam Underhill, seen as the man to fix the breakdown, definitely misses the Paris match with a foot injury.

And Jack Nowell, provider of much of what little impact England have brought off the bench in their last two games, is out after twisting his ankle.

Eddie Jones already had his work cut out to turn around a team well beaten by Scotland 11 days ago. That challenge has just grown significantly.

Hartley, England’s secondmost capped player and skipper in all but one of Jones’ 26 games in charge, suffered “muscle tightness” in training on Monday.

Exeter’s Luke Cowan-Dickie, the form hooker in the Premiership, was immediately called up to the squad, and he trained fully in his place yesterday. Jamie George would start in Hartley’s absence.

Forwards coach Steve Borthwick attempted to play down the significance of losing the skipper so close to one of the toughest away-days in the Six Nations. “It’s hypothetical,” he said. “We’ve got players in the team who have captained England before and we’ve got co-captains. “Dylan has a tightness in his leg, there are still several days to go. When the time is right, Eddie will make the call.” There are those who feel

Hartley should not be in the team anyway, arguing not only are there are better hookers, but England cannot afford their captain to be subbed within the hour of every game, as Hartley is.

In their last two Tests against Wales and Scotland the world’s No.2 ranked side failed to score a single point in the final quarter. Given the quality of George, who started all three Tests for the Lions, and the fact Owen Farrell is next in line for the armband, a greater concern for many is the absence of specialist openside Underhill.

“Without a nailed-on openside England’s pack is unbalanced,” said former Red Rose star Paul Grayson.

“They have three secondrows and a No.6 (playing seven) in the back five of the scrum.”

That is Jones’ dilemma. Underhill is the only No.7 specialist, anyone else is a compromise; be it Chris Robshaw, Sam Simmonds or James Haskell.

A fit-again Elliot Daily, named in a 27-man squad last night, is expected to take Nowell’s place.