Six Nations fears for star after ‘freakish’ knee injury
Six Nations fears for star after ‘freakish’ knee injury
The England World Cup standout may miss three months due to an injury sustained during Saracens’ victory against Harlequins.
Ben Earl had a knee injury last weekend while playing for the Saracens team.
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Due to a knee injury sustained during Saracens’ derby victory over the Harlequins, Ben Earl might not be able to play at the beginning of the Six Nations.
Because of a right knee ligament injury sustained during Saturday’s 38-10 Gallagher Premiership victory at The Stoop, Earl may be out for up to three months.
The 25-year-old, who switched to the No. 8 position and took the role on in France, was the hero of England’s World Cup.
Earl overcame Billy Vunipola, his teammate from Saracens, with a series of incredibly strong efforts that saw England place third.
As a precaution, the back-row forward left The Stoop on Saturday with crutches and a knee brace.
However, it’s understood that more testing has Saracens worried that he would miss up to 12 weeks of action.
Earl may not be ready for Test match play when England takes on Italy in Rome on February 3rd as part of their Six Nations campaign.
Should Earl be unable to start the Six Nations, Vunipola, a star for the Saracens, will be the first to appear for England at number eight.
Alex Dombrandt of the Quins will also be considered, along with Tom Willis, a recent addition to the Saracens, and Alfie Barbeary of Bath.
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Following Saturday’s six-try rout of Quins, Saracens were hesitant to set a timetable for Earl’s injury, although rugby director Mark McCall acknowledged he might miss some time.
Jamie George, a hooker for Saracens and England, acknowledged that the north Londoners are holding out hope that Earl will return to the field soon.
George remarked, “Hopefully it won’t be too serious because he’s in the best shape of his life.”
“He just mentioned that during the warm-up, he felt something in his knee that seemed pretty weird.”
The goal of England manager Borthwick’s trip to France with Vunipola was to get the strong No. 8 back to peak performance and sharpness.
However, Vunipola found it difficult to recover from a knee injury that ended the previous season too soon. The 31-year-old was also suspended for the World Cup opener against Argentina.
In 2024, Borthwick may still be eager to rely on players like Vunipola for the medium term, as England will seek to strike a balance between beginning a new cycle and reaping the benefits of its highly seasoned stars.