Share

Injured skipper Farrell expects to face Ireland

London - England captain Owen Farrell is optimistic he will be fit in time to face Ireland in the teams' Six Nations opener at Dublin's Lansdowne Road on February 2.

The Saracens flyhalf recently underwent surgery on a "minor" thumb injury.

"It is good," Farrell told reporters at the Six Nations launch in London on Wednesday.

"I should be training towards the end of this week and I am confident I will be able to play against Ireland."

Eddie Jones, the England head coach, added: "I'm confident Owen is going to play. We have got George Ford so we are well-stocked at number 10."

England forwards Nathan Hughes (ankle), Brad Shields (side strain) and Joe Launchbury (neck) all suffered injuries while on club duty last weekend but Jones, whose squad will fly out to a warm-weather training camp in Portugal, said: "We get together later today before we fly out to Portugal.

"If we were to train, we would have 34 out of 36 available so a couple of them will be missing," added the Australian, without saying which two players would not train.

England's fixture against Ireland, the reigning Grand Slam champions, has been billed as the match of the tournament.  

"The only thing we can do is prepare well, be 100 percent committed, and we will take it from there," said former Australia and Japan coach Jones.

"Whether it is the biggest game of the tournament or not, it doesn't really matter. Our job is to prepare well."

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