Share

Red-card Haskell, injured Vunipola hand England Six Nations headache

London - England were handed a double Six Nations headache on Saturday after European Champions Cup action saw flanker James Haskell red-carded and No 8 Billy Vunipola suffer another injury setback.

Haskell was sent off in Wasps' dramatic 33-28 defeat by Harlequins for a shoulder-led high tackle on Welsh centre Jamie Roberts.

"Whats done is done, but just want to publicly apologise to @Jamiehuwroberts," Haskell tweeted after the game.

"Never my intention to hurt another player. Got my height wrong, paid the price, which happens. You know me, never one to do anything subtly."

England open their Six Nations against Italy on February 4 knowing Haskell faces a ban for an offence that appears to be in the mid-range of making a dangerous tackle, which would result in a six-week suspension.

Meanwhile, Vunipola went off at half-time during Saracens' 15-15 draw with the Ospreys after appearing to suffer a wrist injury in only his second comeback game following three months' sidelined because of knee trouble.

"He (Vunipola) has an arm injury which we will obviously explore right away," said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall.

"I don't know what the extent of the injury is."

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% - 2245 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