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Outlook not great for Jack Nowell, but latest prognosis is better for Mako Vunipola

By Alex Shaw
(Getty Images)

England and Eddie Jones received a welcome update on Wednesday about the status of Mako Vunipola. The Saracens prop, who limped from the pitch against Ireland last Saturday, only suffered a “small tear of scar tissue” and will likely be fully available for the start of his country’s World Cup on September 22.

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Vunipola’s return to action lasted only 17 minutes at Twickenham on Saturday, as he replaced Joe Marler in the second half of the game and then needed replacing himself a couple of minutes before the final whistle.

Along with Mark Wilson, Vunipola was the only injury issue remaining in the England forward pack going into that game and both players took their places on the bench, with Tom Curry and Sam Underhill having recovered sufficiently from their own injuries to start on the flanks.

England’s back line has had to deal with a couple of knocks, too, including a minor hip injury which has prevented wing Ruaridh McConnochie from making his international debut in England’s three World Cup warm-up games so far.

Another concern is Exeter Chiefs’ Jack Nowell, with the versatile back having picked up an ankle injury in his side’s Gallagher Premiership final defeat to Saracens. Initial projections were optimistic that he would be back in time for the World Cup, leading Jones to name him in his 31-man squad for the tournament.

(Continue reading below…)

However, that optimism may have been misguided as Rob Baxter, the Exeter director of rugby, has described the flier’s chances as “touch and go” on BBC Radio Devon.

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Baxter’s comments would certainly seem to rule Nowell out from featuring in England’s last warm-up game against Italy on September 6, meaning his earliest possible return would be the side’s tournament opener against Tonga on September 22.

England have leaned heavily on Elliot Daly, Joe Cokanasiga and Anthony Watson in Nowell’s absence, while Jonny May started his first game of the summer on Saturday in the 57-15 win over Ireland.

Jones will be hoping that McConnochie is able to feature against Italy and lighten the load on England’s stretched back three resources, although the Australian’s decision to name just two scrum-halves in his World Cup squad has allowed him the luxury of carrying an extra back three option.

WATCH: What rugby fans coming to Oita can expect at night during the World Cup in Japan

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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