In a potential blow for England, scrum-half Alex Mitchell may also miss out due to an infected leg cut, raising doubts about his availability for the Stadio Olimpico clash.
Adding to the woes, Harlequins’ dynamic playmaker Smith sustained a calf injury during Monday’s England training session, necessitating crutches and scans.
While awaiting a second opinion, England is conducting comprehensive examinations on Smith’s calf to determine the timeline for his return to the field.
The injury woes have plunged England into a worsening crisis, but head coach Borthwick remains optimistic about the resilience of the reshuffled XV set to take on Rome.
The uncapped 21-year-old fly-half from Northampton, Fin Smith, is now poised for a potential Test debut, with his impressive form for the Saints possibly earning him a starting role.
Stats:
● England have won each of the 30 men’s Test matches they have played against Italy, including all 24 in the Six Nations, their average margin of victory in those 24 Championship matches is 28 points.
● The last time Italy hosted England in the Six Nations (2022) they failed to score a point as they lost 33-0, it was the first time they’d failed to score a single point against England in the Championship and the sixth and most recent time against any opposition in the tournament.
● Italy have won half of their last eight home matches (W4 L4), including each of their last two (v Romania and Japan), the last time they won three on the spin at home was between 1997 and 1998, when they secured victories against Ireland, Scotland and finally Argentina.
● Italy come into this match off the back of two 50+ point defeats in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, against New Zealand and France, only once in their previous 50 Test matches had they suffered a defeat of this magnitude and not since 1999 had they endured back-to-back losses by such a margin (both v South Africa), they’ve never lost three consecutive matches by 50+ points.
Highest-paid rugby players in the world 2023
RUCK.co.uk examines the top six highest-paid players in the world. We’ve based our figures on reports from trusted news sources and databases to boost our accuracy.
All figures mentioned are before tax – unless specified – and do not include bonuses, extra fees and players’ various sponsorship deals which, in some cases, can instantly double their annual income.
6. Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – £610,000
During his tenure at Montpellier, the Springbok fly-half was known as one of the highest-earning players in the sport, purportedly receiving an annual salary exceeding one million.
However, his transfer to Leicester Tigers entailed a reduction in pay, although he is still believed to be earning a respectable sum at Welford Road.
5. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) – £700,000
The Les Bleus’ talisman is undoubtedly leading one of the most exciting teams on the international stage, all while helping to change the perception of the sport.
