Sam Underhill: England flanker an injury doubt for Six Nations
2025-01-11
Category: sports

England flanker Sam Underhill is an injury doubt for the Six Nations after Bath announced he requires ankle surgery.The 28-year-old injured his ankle in Bath's 35-34 defeat by Premiership champions Northampton on Sunday.Bath issued a medical update to say he will "undergo surgery to rectify a new ankle injury" with there being "no set timeframe on his recovery".Underhill, since his exclusion from England's original Rugby World Cup squad in 2023, has established himself as a regular in Steve Borthwick's starting team at open-side flanker.He started every game for England after the World Cup in 2023, and played in recent autumn defeats by South Africa and Japan, scoring a try in both.It was an ankle injury which kept Underhill, who has been capped 40 times, out Borthwick's side's opening two autumn Tests against New Zealand and Australia.He joins a growing England injury list, with wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in danger of missing the Six Nations because of a dislocated shoulder, while full-back George Furbank is struggling with a broken arm.