Steve Borthwick is facing a host of injury concerns before England’s World Cup opener against Argentina on Saturday, with several frontline players racing against time to prove their fitness.
Courtney Lawes became the latest senior player to emerge with a fitness worry that forced him to miss a pre-tournament ceremony in Le Touquet – England’s base camp in northern France.
Lawes was described as “sore” after England’s first training session at their team base last Friday while Tom Curry and Elliot Daly, who have been nursing ankle and knee injuries respectively, were unable to take part. George Martin was also absent with a knee injury while Kyle Sinckler and Manu Tuilagi undertook modified training. Henry Arundell has been struggling with a back spasm.
England have training sessions on Monday and on Tuesday before a day off on Wednesday, leaving Lawes, Curry and co racing the clock to demonstrate their fitness before Borthwick names his side on Thursday. With the captain, Owen Farrell, and Billy Vunipola suspended for the match on Saturday, Borthwick’s troubles are mounting and the head coach will desperately be hoping for a positive bulletin on Monday.
Curry has not appeared all summer, or indeed under Borthwick after also missing the Six Nations, but England have insisted he remains in contention to face the Pumas and, if he is declared fit, would be an option for the No 8 jersey given Vunipola’s suspension. Lawes is expected to captain England in Farrell’s absence, if he is deemed fit enough.
Daly, meanwhile, sustained his knee injury in the defeat by Ireland in Dublin last month and missed out against Fiji. Borthwick has been consistently confident the Saracens versatility back will be ready for Saturday but his absence from training in Le Touquet is a concern. All the more so because Borthwick is already without Anthony Watson, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury.
Sinckler has a chest issue that forced him out of the humbling home defeat by Fiji while Tuilagi was forced to miss England’s only victory of the summer, at home against Wales, with what Borthwick would only describe as a “tweak”.
The England assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth said: “We are hopeful everyone is going to be ready, we don’t know yet but we think we should be good going into the game.”
