Injuries will cause selection headache
Bath Rugby’s two players who were included in Eddie Jones’ Autumn internationals training camp earlier this month both limped off the pitch at the Stonex Stadium on Saturday to raise concern of for both club and country on the eve of the latest England squad announcement.
Tighthead prop Will Stuart and winger Joe Cokanaisga were both expected to be named in England head coach Eddie Jones’ squad for the Autumn Nations Cup on Monday morning, but the star men were withdrawn during Bath’s 37-31 defeat to Gallagher Premiership leaders Saracens.
Twenty-three-cap England international Stuart was replaced in the 17th minute by D’arcy Rae and was seen post-match on crutches with a leg injury.
The former Wasps man was heading into the autumn as potentially England’s first-choice tighthead having worn the number three jersey out in Australia this summer in the 2-1 series win over the Wallabies and with Bristol’s Kyle Sinckler struggling for his best form since returning from a herniated disc in his back.
Speaking after the match, Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said: “Will Stuart is not doing good, but I can’t give you any clarity at this stage.
“Joe Cokanasiga is fine, it was more precautionary.”
Cokanasiga, who remarkably only has 12 England caps having made his debut in 2018, was replaced by Max Ojomoh in the 50th minute having scored a try and was seen with ice on his ankle on the bench.
Jones will be keen to have the services of his giant winger to face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa this Autumn with van Graan commenting last week that Cokanasiga produced his best performance in two years in the 17-21 defeat to Bath.
He said: “He needs to keep working hard on his individual skills but he is fit, he is confident. It was his 50th game for Bath against Gloucester, it meant a lot to him.
“We have tried to use him a bit differently to how he has been used here in the past and it is bearing fruit.
“There is a real hunger from him and I thought that was his best game in the last two seasons.”
Bath’s medical team, headed by Rory Murray, certainly won’t be taking any risks with Cokanasiga following a rift between club and country opening up back in 2019 when England played him out at the Rugby World Cup in Japan while he had a knee injury, causing further damage to his body which took months to correct.
Should Stuart and Cokanasiga miss out through injury, Bath may well be left with no representation in the senior national team for the first time in years with lock Charlie Ewels, loosehead Beno Obano and flanker Sam Underhill sidelined with significant injuries.
Although the performance of Bath’s new centre signing Ollie Lawrence might well see the seven cap international work his way back into Jones’ plans with the 2023 Rugby World Cup less than 11 months away.
Those of a Bath persuasion will hope is running out in Blue, Black and White this autumn, rather than with a rose on his chest, as Lawrence has established himself as almost indispensable after just two weeks.
The latest injury concerns follow Bath confirming on Friday that former England international back Piers Francis will be sidelined for a month with a quadricep strain.