Daily Mail

Mako World Cup fears

- By WILL KELLEHER

MAKO VUNIPOLA faces a race to be fit for the World Cup after he was ruled out for three months with a hamstring injury. The England prop, 28, hobbled off in Saracens’ European Champions Cup final win against Leinster last Saturday and he is set to miss most of England’s World Cup warm-up matches. Eddie Jones’s side play Wales on August 11 and 17 before facing Ireland on August 24. Vunipola, who has 53 caps, might make the last Test against Italy on September 6, which is after the squad has been picked and days before England fly to Japan. Jones now must find a back-up in case Vunipola is not fit. Exeter’s Ben Moon and Alec Hepburn deputised for him when he was last out with injury and Leicester’s tyro Ellis Genge is a strong contender.

lSRAEL FOLAU finally had his £2million contract ripped up after Rugby Australia took the ‘painful’ decision to sack him for claiming ‘hell awaits’ homosexual­s. The 30-year-old full-back posted the comments on social media last month and a three-person panel concluded that Folau’s four-year contract, which he only recently signed, is to be terminated. The Wallabies will now be without their star player, who scored 37 tries in 72 Tests, at the World Cup. Folau has 72 hours to appeal.

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