Stay-away Vunipola is on slide in rankings

THERE have been plenty of mixed messages surrounding coronavirus, and the RFU have not been immune, with England’s decision to send Mako Vunipola packing as ‘a precautionary measure’ a case in point. No sooner had the England loose-head been excluded from attending the England camp ahead of yesterday’s Six Nations curtain-call against Wales – mainly because he had been in transit in Hong Kong during a return flight after visiting relatives in Tonga – than Public Health England (PHE) described the decision as “unnecessary”. PHE issued this critical comment on Twitter after RFU medics told the Saracens prop to stay away. “Earlier this week the RFU asked a player, having returned from travel overseas, to not attend the camp to avoid the risk of spread, which was not necessary as he was not displaying any symptoms. The RFU accept this, and this clarification.” Instead Vunipola, who was not ill, had no symptoms, and was not in self-isolation, trained with Saracens throughout the week, and went on to start yesterday in the relegated club’s 24-13 Premiership victory over Leicester. At the moment Vunipola has slipped down the England loose-head pecking order, and from being the number one No.1 during the World Cup he is now behind Joe Marler and Ellis Genge. This demotion has coincided with the arrival on the England coaching staff of Matt Proudfoot, the South African who presided over the dismantling of the Red Rose scrum in the World Cup final. Proudfoot has put scrummaging ahead of ball-carrying at the top of his prop agenda, and clearly believes that while Vunipola has few peers as a footballing prop, he has ground to make up at the scrum.