1 year ago
51
Slade has won 52 England caps| Dates: 4 February-18 March |
| Coverage: Selected matches connected BBC TV and BBC iPlayer with unrecorded substance commentary and BBC Radio 5 Live commentary connected each match. |
Centre Henry Slade is the latest cardinal subordinate to beryllium ruled retired of England's Six Nations opener against Scotland astatine Twickenham connected Saturday.
Slade, 29, has not recovered from the hep wounded helium picked up playing for Exeter earlier this month.
England person besides confirmed vice-captain Courtney Lawes volition miss the Calcutta Cup crippled with a calf problem.
However, experienced hooker Jamie George and helping Anthony Watson person some been added to the 36-man squad.
Slade's lack leaves Dan Kelly, Joe Marchant, Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi arsenic the centres successful the squad on with skipper Owen Farrell, though the England skipper is apt to beryllium deployed astatine fly-half.
England are hopeful Slade's wounded is not a semipermanent issue, but his unavailability leaves caller caput manager Steve Borthwick with overmuch to ponder successful presumption of his midfield.
Lawes had been expected to miss astatine slightest the Scotland crippled aft limping disconnected playing for Northampton past play and helium present faces a contention to beryllium progressive successful the championship.
"Courtney is simply a truly pugnacious nonaccomplishment for us, connected and disconnected the pitch," Lawes' Saints team-mate Lewis Ludlam told BBC Sport.
"He is evidently a fantastic subordinate with heaps of experience. He is missed successful camp, but we person nevertheless galore different blokes acceptable to measurement up. There is fierce competition."
George's instrumentality to the squad is simply a boost fixed England's deficiency of extent astatine hooker, though helium has yet to implicit the return-to-play protocols aft concussion.
Gloucester hooker George McGuigan withdrew from the grooming campy with a genu occupation past week portion Luke Cowan-Dickie's ankle wounded volition support him connected the sidelines for the commencement of the championship.
Watson is besides a high-profile summation and is present successful contention to look Scotland contempt not being named successful the archetypal Six Nations squad.
The treble British and Irish Lion has been successful fantabulous signifier for Leicester this play and adds acquisition successful the backmost three, with Jack Nowell and Jonny May some overlooked.
Borthwick volition trim down his squad connected Tuesday evening earlier confirming his matchday 23 connected Thursday afternoon.
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