Farrell to play no part in Six Nations
England skipper Owen Farrell will miss the entirety of this year’s Six Nations due to required surgery on an ankle injury.
The Saracens star has not played since being forced off during his country’s Autumn international against Argentina in November.
He was due to feature for his club last weekend but picked up an injury on his other ankle in training.
The new set-back is due to keep the 30-year-old sidelined for eight to ten weeks.
This follows Jonny May’s knee knock and Manu Tuiligani’s hamstring injury threatening their competition participation too.
No relegation says Six Nations boss
Meanwhile, tournament chief executive Ben Morel has discarded calls for there to be a relegation spot in the table.
Italy have failed to win a game in the Six Nations since their 22-19 triumph over Scotland in 2015, with many stating that their lack of quality is undermining the integrity of the format.
When asked about the subject, Morel said (via Mail+ ): “It's not on the current agenda but we understand there needs to be a pathway for emerging nations into elite rugby.
“The Italian results have probably been, first and foremost, not to the satisfaction of the Italian team themselves and the Italian federation.
“At the same time they have got young talent and are performing well in the under-20s regularly. There has been some conversion to the senior team.
“Their struggles are well identified and they are putting a lot of resources behind it. I don't believe there's a question of credibility.”
Wales given Alun Wyn Jones hope
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has revealed that hero Alun Wyn Jones could play a part in this year’s Six Nations, saying: “never say never.”
The 36-year-old, who captained the British & Irish Lions for their tour of South Africa last year, is currently nursing a shoulder injury and had been expected to miss the entirety of the competition.
But Pivac said: "Honestly say that I would never say never. But, look, it will be a long-shot, let’s just say that.
"Al is working incredibly hard behind the scenes, as you know he would, to get himself in the best shape possible for either the Ospreys or Wales.”
The Welsh legend has featured in a world record 161 tests for Wales and the Lions but, in his absence, has been replaced by fly-half Dan Biggar as captain.
Meanwhile, opening game opponents Ireland have a fully fit squad barring Iain Henderson, who is a doubt with an ankle injury.
Ennis-Hill offers England champion advice
Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill has been giving words of advice and encouragement at England’s training camp in Brighton ahead of their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 5.
Maro Itoje and George Furbank organised the Q&A session which focussed on dealing with pressure and expectation - something she experienced when going for gold at London 2012.
Head coach Eddie Jones praised her for offering her wisdom and aiding the team ahead of a tough few weeks.
“She was obviously an outstanding athlete and it’s a great story with the resilience she showed and the expectation she had to cope with,” he told the Press Association (via the Belfast Telegraph) .
“She was really good and had good messages for the team, particularly for the young guys coming through.
“They’re all dealing with expectation and Jess spoke about how she did that, how she handled social media and communication with her coaches. There were some really good points for the players to absorb.”
