England wait on injured pair

Nathan Hughes, the Wasps No8, and Joe Cokanasiga, the Bath wing, are both expected to be ruled out of Champions Cup matches on Saturday and England will have to wait to learn the severity of their injuries.

Cokanasiga, who scored tries in his first two senior England Tests, against Japan and Australia, is understood to have been forced out of Bath’s must-win away game against defending European champions Leinster in Dublin.

It is believed that the knee injury the 21-year-old picked up against the Irish province in the 17-10 defeat last Saturday is not as serious as was first reported but still looks likely to sideline him. Bath will release an update on his fitness today.

Meanwhile, Hughes, 27, was forced off after just 20 minutes with a hip and pelvic injury in Wasps’ 24-16 loss against Toulouse, which effectively knocked them out of the competition, after a hefty tackle from the French side’s lock, Joe Tekori.

It is understood that Hughes, who was recalled to England’s squad for the final Quilter international against Australia after serving a sixweek ban for punching and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the game, is also not considered a long-term casualty.

The Wasps medical team are keeping the back-row forward under observation for the next few days. It is unlikely he will be fit in time for the trip to Toulouse.