SaintK wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:44 pm
Jonny Hill out of 1st 6N match at least.
British and Irish Lions star lock Jonny Hill will likely be unavailable for England for the opening couple of rounds of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations, Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has confirmed.
Hill, 27, has not played for Chiefs since the club’s 14-12 defeat to Harlequins on January 8 but was named as part of Eddie Jones' 36-man squad to prepare for the upcoming international tournament.
England are currently into their third day of a five-day training camp in Brighton, with clubmates Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds and Henry Slade also in the squad.
However today, speaking in his midweek press conference ahead of Chiefs facing London Irish on Saturday in the Gallagher Premiership, Baxter confirmed Hill has been wearing a space boot in recent weeks to help treat a stress fracture in his lower leg and will likely miss the start of the Six Nations.
Lawes at lock if his head's OK, then.
I think Jones will pick Atkinson because in the absence of Farrell, he's tended to go for either Tuilagi or the nearest bill carrying equivalent, Slade really got the gig as emergency cover that did well.
I reckon he'll pick
9 Youngs
10 Ford (Smith needs his hand held by Farrell, Eddie told us)
11 Nowell
12 Atkinson
13 Slade
14 Marchant
15 Stewart