Euro hopefuls miss stars

THREE of England’s heavyweight challengers will be without key international players when they face testing European Champions Cup clashes this weekend.

Saracens have lost broken jaw victim Maro Itoje ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Park clash against Pool Two rivals Clermont Auvergne, while Leicester tackle Munster in Limerick on Saturday minus England prop Ellis Genge, who faces shoulder surgery.

And a third England international – Bath wing Semesa Rokoduguni – is also on the sidelines, awaiting a shoulder operation and missing his club’s key Pool Five encounter against Toulon at Stade Felix-Mayol on Saturday.

The trio could face a race against time to be fit for England’s opening NatWest 6 Nations appointments with Italy and Wales in early February, with Bath confirming Rokoduguni as a latest addition to Red Rose boss Eddie Jones’ casualty list.

“One player who is not available is ‘Roko’ (Semesa Rokoduguni), who will be going in for surgery on a shoulder injury sustained against Exeter (last Saturday),” Bath rugby director Todd Blackadder said.

“It’s obviously a big loss, but we have the likes of Matt Banahan and Aled Brew, among others, who can really cause the Toulon defence problems on Saturday.”

Victory for Bath would keep them top of their group prior to Toulon’s Recreation Ground visit next weekend, while Leicester will be in a similar position if they triumph at Thomond Park, with Pool Four shaping up as the tightest Champions Cup group this term.

“We lost some key blokes for a month in the autumn Tests and got them back together in bits and pieces, and now it is about trying to get that continuity back,” said Leicester head coach Matt O’Connor, whose returning players include England wing Jonny May.

“Playing against Munster at Thomond Park is one of the great joys in European rugby. It is a special place in the European game.”