Share

Nowell joins growing England injury list

London - Exeter wing Jack Nowell is the latest England player to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines as a result of national coach Eddie Jones's controversial training camp.

Wasps flanker Sam Jones broke his leg during a judo session while with England and Bath wing Anthony Watson fractured his jaw during a collision in training.

Exeter boss Rob Baxter, speaking after his side's 27-27 Premiership draw with Gloucester on Saturday, said Nowell had suffered a torn thigh during England training.

Baxter accused England of going too hard on the 23-year-old Nowell, who only recently returned to full fitness after a two-month injury lay-off following thumb surgery.

"Jack had a run-out with us last weekend and had his first bit of rugby," said Baxter. "England seemed to have loaded him more than we would have done.

"We were told that the injury was minor but when we scanned him, he had a 9-10 centimetre tear in his quad which will put him out for weeks."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall previously labelled the timing of last weekend's England camp in the south coast town of Brighton as "madness" and "flabbergasting".

Wallaby great Michael Lynagh joined in the criticism over the timing of the camp, telling AFP on Friday: "It's just ludicrous.

"You can't have a guy playing for Saracens or whoever on a Sunday, then going doing judo sessions on Monday and Tuesday and then playing Wasps on a Saturday. It's just too much."

It is not yet certain whether Nowell will be fit in time for the first of England's four end-of-year internationals, against South Africa at Twickenham on November 12.

England have won all nine Tests they've played under Australian coach Jones, appointed after the team's first-round exit at last year's World Cup.

That sequence includes a Six Nations Grand Slam and a 3-0 series win in Australia.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE