When England last played Wales in Cardiff two years ago, they badly missed Ben Morgan and they will be without the Gloucester No8 again when they open the Six Nations campaign in Cardiff next month. The 25-year old was carried off during Friday night’s Premiership victory over Saracens with a broken leg that will put his place in the World Cup squad in jeopardy.
Morgan, who was treated for five minutes on the pitch and given oxygen after he caught his left leg awkwardly in a tackle when he had picked up from the back of a scrum, is understood to have had an operation on Saturday. He is unlikely to play again this season and, if he does not make it back, he would have the target of playing in England’s pre-World Cup friendlies in August.
England are better equipped to cover Morgan’s absence than they were two years ago when Tom Wood moved from blindside flanker to No8 without having the Gloucester forward’s ball-carrying threat. Billy Vunipola, who was playing opposite Morgan for Saracens on Friday night, started the season as first choice in the position.
Vunipola was dropped after two matches in November. Morgan replaced him against Samoa and retained his place for the final match of the month against Australia when he scored England’s two tries in their most impressive performance of the autumn.
The England head coach, Stuart Lancaster, had enjoyed some relief on the injury front with Tom Youngs, Alex Corbisiero and Geoff Parling, who all missed the autumn series, fit again, while Manu Tuilagi, Dan Cole and Brad Barritt hope to be back in action by the end of the month.
While Vunipola will be the chief beneficiary of Morgan’s injury, Lancaster will need a ball-carrying back-row on the bench. Two months ago, he called up the Exeter No8 Thomas Waldrom, the leading try scorer in the Premiership this season with nine in 12 matches.
Lancaster names his squad on 21 January and, aside from shifting Wood again or another flanker, James Haskell, he has one other option at No8: Toulon’s Steffon Armitage, who has not added to his five England caps since moving to France in 2011. Every time his name is put forward in the media, it is as an alternative to Chris Robshaw at openside flanker, but Toulon use him most at No8.
Lancaster has been considering including Armitage in his squad to prepare for the World Cup in the summer when he will be constantly available. Under the agreement between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby, a player based outside England may only be considered by the national side in exceptional circumstances.
Given what happened to his side in Cardiff two years ago without Morgan, Lancaster may decide that the time is right to make an exception to the rule.
