Monday Round-Up

Blow for Lancaster: England head coach Stuart Lancaster has been dealt an almighty injury blow ahead of the forthcoming November Internationals, with news filtering through of a serious injury to star second rower Joe Launchbury. Launchbury, who has been complaining of an ongoing irritation in his neck, will sit out the coming six to eight weeks of action, on both the international and domestic stages. Taking all the necessary precautions with regards to a neck injury, Lancaster and Wasps head coach Dai Young, have both said they expect the talented lock to return in the new year, in time for the Six Nations campaign. Launchbury’s place within the wider squad has been taken by Leicester Tigers’ Graham Kitchener, while Bath’s Dave Attwood is expected to start in the engine room alongside Courtney Lawes, with George Kruis set for his debut off the replacements bench. England take on the All Blacks at Twickenham this Saturday in the first week of a heavy November schedule.

No Phillips for Scarlets: West Wales outfit the Scarlets will be without the services of flying winger Kristian Phillips for a number of weeks, after the former Osprey suffered an injury against Italian outfit Zebre, during the course of the weekend’s Guinness Pro12 action. Having been replaced after just three minutes of action at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday, the club have since confirmed that Phillips suffered a fractured cheekbone. While the full extent of his impending absence is not yet known, more news is expected once Phillips visits a specialist on Tuesday. The Scarlets are already without the services of a total of 18 players due to International call ups or injuries.

Etzebeth coming late: South Africa’s giant lock forward, Eben Etzebeth, has remained at home on South African soil for the coming two days, as he experiences a period of grief following a bereavement within his family. Having seen the rest of his Springbok colleagues arrive in Ireland via London on Sunday afternoon, Etzebeth remained at home to mourn the loss of a family member. After being in camp for the full two weeks of preparation however, head coach Heyneke Meyer has no concerns regarding the availability of Etzebeth ahead of Saturday’s impending clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. The Springbok match day squad will be named on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s Test.

Ryan Sheady