England captain Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the entire Guinness Six Nations because of an ankle problem.
Head coach Eddie Jones has confirmed that Farrell needs surgery on the injury sustained in training for Saracens last week.
It was hoped that the 30-year-old would start the opener against Scotland on February 5 after recovering from damage to the other ankle which had kept him out for two months.
Saracens have confirmed that Farrell will undergo surgery on Wednesday and faces eight to 10 weeks of rehabilitation.
“Owen is out of the Six Nations. It’s a massive blow for him personally and for the team it’s a blow,” Jones said.
“But it’s obviously an opportunity for other guys to step up into leadership roles and for other players to play for that 12 jumper.
“We see it more as an opportunity. In today’s rugby, having your best team on the field is a rare occurrence. We’re pretty used to it. There’s an opportunity there to build a bit more leadership depth.”
