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11 players that should be fit again for Six Nations Round 3
After two rounds of Guinness Six Nations action, we enter the first fallow week of the tournament, offering players a much-needed chance to rest.
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The week off is especially important for injured players, as it provides that extra time to continue to rehab and avoid missing any more game-time.
Those that just missed out on round two, now have two weeks to impress their coaches and show they are ready to play. Here are some players that should be back in contention for round three:
George Martin
The last time George Martin pulled on an England shirt, he was producing a monstrously physical display against South Africa in the World Cup semi-final. He injured his knee in that match though, which kept him out until December. A month later, his club Leicester Tigers confirmed he suffered another “minor knee injury,” which meant he was one of five players called into England’s Six Nations squad for rehabilitation.
After missing the opening two rounds of the Championship, Steve Borthwick said after the Wales match on Saturday: “Hopefully George Martin will be back in the squad and available for selection this week.”
Manu Tuilagi
England’s midfield powerhouse Manu Tuilagi has been out of action since December with a groin injury, and was another member of the quintet of players in the England squad for rehabilitation. Like with Martin, Borthwick said at Twickenham that he hopes to have the Sale Sharks centre back for the Calcutta Cup in Edinburgh in round three. “Hopefully Manu Tuilagi isn’t too far away to be in contention for the next selection,” he said.
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Included in the Six Nations after missing the World Cup with a neck injury, Luke Cowan-Dickie was withdrawn from the squad a week before facing Italy alongside Ollie Lawrence and Oscar Beard. But Borthwick is anticipating the hooker will be in the mix for selection after the fallow week.
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He said: “I hope Luke Cowan-Dickie comes into that reckoning for selection as well for the next squad. That’s what I’m aiming towards right now.”
The England head coach did add that these injury updates could change with medical reports this week.
Peter O’Mahony
Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony missed the 36-0 win over Italy with a calf injury having not trained all week. His head coach Andy Farrell said that it “shouldn’t take too long” and expects the 34-year-old to be back in training in preparation for Wales’ visit to the Aviva Stadium in round three.
Tadhg Furlong
Like his captain, tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong also missed the week leading into the Italy match, but his coach also expects him to return to training this week.
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Blair Kinghorn
Scotland boss Gregor Townsend was dealt a huge blow just before the Championship started when Toulouse fullback Blair Kinghorn was ruled out of the opening two matches.
With an extra week’s rest now, the Scot is expected to return for the Calcutta Cup.
Darcy Graham
Initially named in Townsend’s Six Nations squad, winger Darcy Graham sustained a quad injury soon after. But Scotland confirmed in the build-up to the loss to France that the 26-year-old had returned to training with Edinburgh.
It has since been reported that Graham will be in contention to be selected for the clash with England.
WP Nel
Scotland’s veteran tighthead WP Nel missed the opening two rounds with a neck strain, but returned to Edinburgh training last week alongside Graham, and is also poised to be available for round three.
Sebastian Negri
Italy flanker Sebastian Negri was ruled out of the loss to Ireland after suffering a rib contusion the week before against England in Rome. In an Instagram post after the injury was announced, the back row said he hoped to be “back soon,” and an extra week’s rest now may well be enough to see him fit for the trip to Lille to face France.
With fellow back row Lorenzo Cannone also ruled out against Ireland with a knee injury – with an unknown return date – Italy need Negri’s physicality.
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Romain Taofifenua
Lyon lock Romain Taofifenua was a late withdrawal from France’s squad to face Ireland in the opening match of this year’s Championship, paving the way for Posolo Tuilagi to make his debut.
Fabien Galthie confirmed that he had a leg infection after the match, while also confirming he would miss the Scotland clash at Murrayfield. Though nothing has been confirmed yet, Glathie did not rule him out of the Italy match in round three.
The contest at the Decathlon Arena is likely to come too soon for fellow second-rows, Toulouse’s Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament, according to Midi Olympique.
Sam Costelow
Wales fly-half Sam Costelow left the Principality Stadium pitch in the first half of the round one loss to Scotland, and missed the trip to Twickenham in round two.
Wales attack coach Alex King confirmed that the 23-year-old did not suffer a concussion, rather a “neural issue on his neck”.
An injury update is expected this week from Wales, so nothing is confirmed about Costelow’s availability, but the three-week gap between round one and round three may benefit him.
Comments on RugbyPass
“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
11 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
1 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
11 Go to commentsMaybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
4 Go to commentsI haven't really experienced the Irish as arrogant but I guess the players maybe got ahead of themselves after a big win. Just thought it being Ireland and their love afair with WC QF exits and it being the ABs maybe they would have taken it a bit more seriously. Maybe they did and just lost anyways, who knows.
11 Go to commentsNot surprising, they tend to get very carried away with themselves very quickly. I’ve never seen a team so devastated at the final whistle than those irish players in that QF, you’d think they had lost the final.
11 Go to commentsJust a roundabout way of claiming to great fun. Self -praise is no praise, frenchie.
1 Go to commentsIreland have played the ABs since the first game 1905 a total of 37 times. The ABs have won 32 and Ireland 5 times. If we look since the first WC, then they have played each other 28 times. All Ireland’s 5 wins have come since 2016. So the ABs won 23 games. Since Ireland won their first game in 2016, they have won 5 and the ABs 4 times. Fairly even. Whatever anyone says, beating ABs consistently is bloody difficult, and when you manage to win a few, show respect to them. Period.
206 Go to comments‘Mom'.
1 Go to commentsA specialist in hitting smaller guys hard and late. Serial cheap shot merchant who deserves more than the usual token sanction for such actions.
1 Go to commentsI like to see the Crusaders lose as much as the next non-Crusaders fan, but the fact that most of their best players have not been available this year is being hand waved away like it shouldn’t effect them. It’s no coincidence that their first dominant performance came when they had more of their best players back. This is not rocket science. If they can stay fit their team at the business end of the season will include Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Quentin Strange, Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace in the forwards - most of whom have barely, or not played this year. That is an outstanding pack that have not played together this season. McLeod, Havili, Aumua, Reece, and Halfpenny will be a very different prospect behind their first choice pack as well. Having said all that Penney’s record is scratchy at best, but given the players that have left and their injury list I’m reserving judgement. Penney’s appointment, a bit like Foz, has a similar stench of the incumbent having too much say in his replacement. They are lacking a truly high quality and experienced 10 which will make it hard for them to go the whole way IMO, but the list of teams who would want to play them in the finals will be very short.
17 Go to commentsWhere’s this people's champion come from? Irish people yes….other people? Their arrogance has become breathtaking. Not tested? Oh dear.
206 Go to commentsIf a coach having Crusaders heritage is so sacrosanct, why did the Crusaders not pursue Vern Cotter as Scott Robertson’s replacement?
17 Go to commentsFinau is definitely operating on razor thin margins. He hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. But a player going into contact 6 inches lower than he is expecting, without him even knowing, will end in disaster. You can imagine a situation where the pass dies on Edmed and he has to bend down a little lower to catch it at the last second. Finau’s hit would have been catastrophic. The margins are just too fine. He needs to study how PSDT, at 6’7”, manages to drop his tackle height and exert just as much force with close zero danger of taking someone’s head off. Given how poorly NZ has adapted to lower their tackle height, and that this issue which has plagued the ABs for years and played a big part in them not winning the World Cup, I thought NZR and all SR coaches would be prioritising sorting this issue out. If I was Razor I would be on the phone to Clayton MacMillan and Samipeni Finau saying exactly that. Finau is a monster and shaping up to be the closest thing to Kaino since Kaino, but I wouldn’t risk selecting him for the ABs at the moment.
18 Go to commentsThe surprising stat I saw in the Blues game when showing Sotutu equaling the Blues forwards record was that Akira has not scored a try since 2019. Now my memory is pretty bad when it comes to those sorts of the things, I can remember his AB try though, but anyway I can’t see I can remember his last blues touchdown or any in recent years. Surely that still has to be a bogus stat. Maybe excludes SRA games?
3 Go to commentsDude to me looks pretty fast for a big man, nearly 2m and 130kg, in his workout vid he was signed off. Possibly a bit slow on his reads movement wise though, but I’ve not got anything to compare him to. Hope the dude nails it and finds his sport, could have been a devastating lock in rugby if he wasn’t a footballer growing up.
4 Go to commentsWell, does that make it every year Moana has lost it’s best player the following year? Normally it’s more immediate I guess, at least there best player had a follow up year this time.
1 Go to commentsFinally, an answer to Dan Carter.
1 Go to commentsNever read such tripe. He was hit just as he passed the ball which was reviewed and deemed legal by yes the Australian TMO and referee
18 Go to comments