How England can turn Alex Mitchell hammer blow into a dramatic shift that saves their Six Nations
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There was a sense of yesteryear in the restaurant at Pennyhill Park on Wednesday. The likes of Martin Johnson and Will Greenwood joined the squad for dinner but the stars of 2003 were not the only ones who have not pulled on an England jersey for an eternity.Raffi Quirke last played a Test in 2021 but has been called back into the squad following Alex Mitchell's hamstring injury. Mitchell will miss the remainder of the Six Nations campaign, forcing Steve Borthwick to change his options at scrum-half for the final rounds in Rome and Paris.Nobody expects Quirke to start against Italy but the 24-year-old presents a unique opportunity to the selectors. Having regularly played on the wing for Sale this season, Quirke's ability to cover two positions offers flexibility that England are desperately seeking.Last year, Grant Williams played a similar role for South Africa, covering No 9 primarily, yet blessed with the speed and footwork to step onto the wing. It is a valuable commodity in the days of the popular 6-2 bench split.Quirke last played for England under Eddie Jones, coming off the bench to score a sensational solo try against the Springboks. He has since suffered hamstring tears, a broken jaw, a broken wrist and ruptured foot ligaments.Now could be his chance to nail down a position as one of England's super subs. Alex Mitchell (centre) limped out of the thumping defeat by Ireland last week and will play no further part in the Six Nations Raffi Quirke has only managed two caps but scored against the world-champion Springboks in 2021 at Twickenham The Sale scrum-half is leaving his boyhood club this summer for a new challengeQuirke is now third in the pecking order, with Ben Spencer or Jack van Poortvliet likely to start in Rome.Off the back of humiliating defeats by Scotland and Ireland, Borthwick is under pressure to patch up the defence and improve England's strike-rate in the 22.England's aerial game has failed and Spencer is the go-to guy if Borthwick wants a nine with world-class kicking abilities.Speaking on Wednesday, Borthwick suggested England have not had the right wingers to dominate the skies.'On an almost weekly basis, you see new trends, and teams doing things differently,' said Borthwick. 'The teams are so good and there is so much research being put into those areas. Clearly, losing Manny Feyi-Waboso; he was so important to us in the autumn in terms of the aerial competition, as was Tom Roebuck. SIX NATIONS 2026 Pl W LPD BPPts France 330 +89 3 15 Scotland 3 2 1 +11 3 11 Ireland 3 2 1 +6 1 9 England 3 1 2 +9 1 5 Italy 3 1 2 -29 1 5 Wales 3 0 3 -86 1 1 'Manny has not played throughout the championship and Tom Roebuck came in at short notice for that first game, ahead of schedule. He did well in the first two games and then I took him out of that third game. Those guys were integral to us in the autumn series.'Feyi-Waboso remains injured and Roebuck is still returning to fitness, which means Spencer's kicking superstrength could be wasted against Italy. At Bath, Spencer orchestrates a forward dominated pick-and-go game in the 22 that England cannot replicate at Test level.That leaves Van Poortvliet as favourite to start in Rome. He does not provide the same speed-of-ball as Mitchell but adds more zip than Spencer, along with his ability to snipe down the side of rucks and improve England's potency in the 22.Winning collisions will be key but powerful centre Ollie Lawrence is another fitness doubt. That leaves the door open for Harlequins heavyweight Chandler Cunningham-South. The back-row will be sent back to his club this weekend to sharpen up for the high-stakes Test in Rome. He can offer an additional lineout option, as well as dominance in the contact area.Borthwick berated his players for not taking their chances against Ireland. Having become one of England's forgotten men, you sense there would be few players more desperate to take theirs than Quirke.
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How England can turn Alex Mitchell hammer blow into a dramatic shift that saves their Six Nations
