England's Watson Out Once More Against Scotland
England's Watson Out Once More Against Scotland
England winger Anthony Watson will be sidelined once again against Scotland, as he continues to recover from a calf injury.
England wing Anthony Watson has again been ruled out of Six Nations action after it was announced Wednesday he would miss this weekend's match away to Scotland with a calf injury.
Watson was absent from England's opening 24-17 defeat by France in Paris on Sunday with the same problem but it had been hoped he would be available in time for Saturday's Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.
"Anthony felt it (the injury) again yesterday (Tuesday) and we won't consider him for Scotland," said England forwards coach Matt Proudfoot.
Manu Tuilagi had already been ruled out of the match after the powerful centre suffered a groin injury that saw him leave the pitch just 16 minutes into last weekend's match at the Stade de France.
In Paris, England coach Eddie Jones responded to being without Watson, a member of the side that lost to South Africa in last year's World Cup final, by switching Elliot Daly to the wing and giving a Test debut to full-back George Furbank.
Jones is set to continue playing flanker Tom Curry at number eight given that Billy Vunipola will miss the whole Six Nations with a broken arm.
Curry, however, struggled in his new role in Paris but Proudfoot had no doubt the 21-year-old could adjust given time.
"It's very difficult. Any part of the spine -- two (hooker) five (lock), eight, nine (scrum-half), 10 (fly-half), 15 (full-back) - are tough positions," Proudfoot said.
"They're not positions you just need to be physically prepared for, you have to make decisions and be tactically prepared for them. That is a tough transition.
"But we couldn't make the transition if we didn't understand Tom Curry's potential, where he can play and what he can do as a player."
Jones is set to make at least two changes to his starting XV, with Jonathan Joseph, who came on for Tuilagi last week, set to be included.
Meanwhile lock Charlie Ewels, who started against France, was dropped from a 25-man squad announced Wednesday with Joe Launchbury, fit following a knee injury, taking his place.
Jones is set to name his side to play Scotland on Thursday, with both teams looking for their first win of this year's Six Nations following the Scots' 19-12 defeat by Ireland in Dublin.
© Agence France-Presse
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