WORLD CUP AGONY HAD UP SIDE, BY GEORGE
England facing a crisis at No.8 as Vunipola is ruled out of the big autumn clashes
BILLY VUNIPOLA goes back under the surgeon’s knife today having broken an arm for the third time in 10 months.
The luckless England No.8, who has started only three Tests in two years, suffered his latest fracture playing for Saracens in a fiery contest at Glasgow.
Scans yesterday confirmed the damage which rules him out of England’s four-Test autumn schedule. The news comes as a devastating blow both for the player and his country.
The fact that it is his left arm, rather than the right which he broke first in January and again in
June, comes as no consolation.
England have lost five of their last six
Tests and face South Africa, recent slayers of the worldchampion All Blacks, a fortnight on Saturday. Seven days
vTomorrow, 7.45pm GEORGE BURGESS says his World Cup snub inspired him to recapture his best form and earn an England recall.
Burgess (far right with brother Tom) was overlooked while brother Sam and Tom helped take Wayne Bennett’s side all the way to last year’s final.
But this year George has been back to his destructive best as South later New Zealand themselves are at Twickenham.
Vunipola’s injury could hardly have come at a worse time.
Not only is the 25-year-old out for three months, No.8 rival Sam Simmonds will not play before May due to a ruptured knee ligament.
And Nathan Hughes (below, right), the next cab off the rank, faces a disciplinary hearing tomorrow at which there is every chance he will get a ban ruling him out of some or all of the autumn series.
Coach Eddie Jones is likely to turn to either Bath’s Zach Mercer (below, centre), who is in his training squad, or recall Gloucester’s Ben Morgan (below, left) three years after his last cap at the 2015 World Cup.
The Australian was at Kingsholm on Sunday where Morgan impressed in the defeat of French champions Castres – after which the 29-year-old said: “I’m enjoying my rugby. If it leads to anything else then fantastic.”
Jones announces his squad on Thursday, before which he will be checking in with Saracens to gauge the fitness of the other Vunipola. Prop star Mako left the Glasgow pitch before his brother, having suffered a calf strain. He left Scotstoun on crutches with his left leg in a moon boot.
Saracens declined to go into detail on the full extent of the damage, saying only that his progress would be monitored.
Jones will pray it is not serious, with loosehead options Joe Marler and Ellis Genge retired and crocked respectively. Sydney came within one game of the NRL Grand Final.
Now he is preparing for tomorrow’s test against France at Leigh before a three-match series with New Zealand.
Burgess said: “It means a hell of a lot to be back. I missed out last year which was difficult for me.
“That was a good lesson, I had to work hard. I had a hip injury and I knew I had to get my fitness right.”