England have been given another injury headache before the start of the Six Nations after Henry Slade withdrew from this week’s training camp in Portugal with a shoulder injury. Slade was forced off during Exeter’s Champions Cup defeat by Glasgow on Saturday and he will remain with the Chiefs this week for further assessment rather than travelling to the Algarve.
It is further disruption for Eddie Jones, who was already without 13 players for England’s Six Nations opener in Italy on 4 February, and if Slade is not fit enough to join the squad in Bagshot next week, it leaves limited options at outside-centre beyond Jonathan Joseph.
Slade started two of England’s three autumn internationals in November, including at outside-centre against Samoa, and Ben Te’o, though nearing full fitness, has not played since October because of an ankle injury. Furthermore Elliot Daly (ankle) is a long-term absentee and Jack Nowell – now considered by Jones a contender for the No 13 jersey – was last week rated as “touch and go” to face Italy.
Sam Underhill, meanwhile, has admitted he has changed his approach to tackling and is no longer preoccupied with making “big hits” after recently returning from an eight-week layoff due to a concussion.
Underhill has started Bath’s last two matches following his prolonged absence, having suffered his second concussion of the season against Australia in November. His first was on his Premiership debut for Bath against Northampton, in which he made 23 tackles before being withdrawn after an hour.
The 21-year-old is the favourite to start the Six Nations at openside flanker, provided he proves his fitness, and while he has only three caps to date, his dominant style means he is already a valued member of Jones’s side – he was appointed one of two defensive captains during the autumn.
But having also been withdrawn before half-time in his first England appearance – in the non-capped victory over the Barbarians in May – after a blow to the shoulder, fears have been raised that Underhill’s technique leaves him vulnerable to injury.
“The biggest consideration for me has been how I prepare for contact,” he said. “It’s a game of numbers, if you have a lot more contacts where your head is in a vulnerable position and they are bigger contacts, then you’re more likely at some point to get it wrong. You have to tackle efficiently because there’s no point trying to smash big guys all the time. It’s not the most efficient way to do it. Being a big hitter, just because you’re good at one type of tackle doesn’t mean you’re a good defender. Having better situational awareness will mean I’m more effective.
“You still want to add an element of physicality to it but it’s about being more comfortable with other forms of tackle. Not every tackle has to be a big hit. If you look at [Bath team-mate] Francois Louw, he can put in big hits but is also a very smart defender. His consistency shows that having variety in your arsenal is more sustainable.
“It’s an intelligent thing whereas a big hit is more of an emotional thing, which is hard to sustain over a season. It’s hard to always be the most aggressive player out there but you can be the smartest player consistently.”
See Bath take on Leicester Tigers at Twickenham for The Clash, on Saturday 7 April. Tickets start from £5 for juniors, £15 for adults, available at bathrugby.com/theclash
