England winger Jess Breach has shared a gruesome image of a deep cut in her forehead which sliced through her eyebrow.
The Harlequins back-three player, 24, started on the wing for the Red Roses as they nilled Ireland by 69 points in the penultimate round of the Women's Six Nations on Sunday, but she was an early departure in the second half. She left the field holding her head on 45 minutes following a clash of heads with Ireland flanker Dorothy Wall, which resulted in a yellow card for the green-wearing back-rower.
Breach, with 21 caps to her name, exited the game for a head injury assessment when England were 17-0 ahead and did not return. She has since taken to Instagram to reveal pictures of the deep wound on her head, with blood staining her hair and shirt. In another image, the injury is neatly stitched up and a third shows the Red Roses star smiling with a dressing on her head.
The England v Ireland clash was just her second international appearance since May 2021. After battling ankle, back and shoulder injuries plus Covid, she made her first Test appearance in almost a year against Wales in round three, when she scored two tries to help her team to a 58-5 win. In 2019, Breach - who scored six tries on her debut - was the Women's Six Nations top try-scorer with nine.
England face France in a title decider on Super Saturday this weekend, while Wales host Italy in the first match of the day and Scotland travel to Ireland.