England fret over Fin Smith’s fitness for looming Australia match

Borthwick responds by calling up Charlie AtkinsonGuy Pepper and Benhard van Rensburg also doubtsEngland are fretting over the fitness of the fly-half Fin Smith in the leadup to the Nations Championship home opener against Australia next week.The Northampton player damaged a calf in the second half against Leicester on Saturday and will be unable to join the national squad who have a three-day training camp in Bagshot this week. Continue reading…

Steve Borthwick has been handed a dilemma at 10, with the Northampton fly-half unable to join the England training camp this week England are fretting over the fitness of the fly-half Fin Smith in the leadup to the Nations Championship home opener against Australia next week. The Northampton player damaged a calf in the second half against Leicester on Saturday and will be unable to join the national squad who have a three-day training camp in Bagshot this week. Losing Smith so close to the Wallabies fixture would be a significant blow given the 24-year-old started at 10 in all three of England’s Tests in July and was instrumental in Saints’ domestic title triumph last season.

England’s management say they remain hopeful that the fly-half will be back in time to face Australia but, with limited preparation time available, there will inevitably be some disruption to Steve Borthwick’s plans. Borthwick has responded by calling up Gloucester’s Charlie Atkinson as cover, with Marcus Smith and George Ford the other specialist 10s in the squad. Since deposing Ford after England’s defeat against Ireland in the Six Nations, however, Fin Smith