Hamstring injury rules England scrum-half Alex Mitchell out of Australia Test
Northampton's Alex Mitchell will miss England's Nations Championship opener against Australia on Sunday. Head coach Steve Borthwick has called up Bristol's Harry Randall and Bath's Ben Spencer in his place.
England have lost their first-choice scrum-half for Sunday's Test against Australia. Alex Mitchell hurt a hamstring in Northampton's Prem win over Gloucester on Saturday, The Guardian reported. He will have a scan on Tuesday to find out how serious the injury is. Archie McParland, Mitchell's uncapped Northampton teammate, will also miss the Wallabies match. He picked up a calf injury while training with England last week, after his second call-up to the senior squad. With both players out, Leicester's Jack van Poortvliet is expected to start at No 9. Either Randall or Spencer will be on the bench. According to The Guardian, the week gives Randall and Spencer a big chance to make their case, with the World Cup less than a year away. The two offer different styles. Randall is known for his sniping running game at Bristol. Spencer, who recently returned for Bath after shoulder surgery, is known for his tactical kicking. Gloucester's Seb Atkinson, Exeter's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Northampton's Fin Smith are all in the…
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