Ellis Genge insists he has shown the healing powers of Marvel superhero Wolverine in recovering from his hamstring injury in time for England’s Six Nations opener.
In a significant boost for Steve Borthwick ahead of Wednesday’s squad announcement for the Championship, Genge is on course to be fit to face Italy on February 3.
The Bristol prop inured his hamstring in early December and while Friday’s European clash with Connacht is too soon for his comeback, he could return against Bath a week later if England decide he needs the game time.
“I’m all good. They said the hammy has healed. They said miraculous, like Wolverine,” said Genge in reference to the X-Men character who can repair damaged tissue at an extraordinary rate.
“They said there is still a little bit of scar tissue that is a little bit immature, so we’ll just tick away at that this week. But I should be fit.
“The rehab has been long, daunting. It’s tough watching everyone else playing.
“Obviously when your team is not performing well and you’re one of the bigger players you want to be involved, but unfortunately I’ve been sitting on the sidelines pulling my hair out.”
Genge’s recovery has eased the crisis that had developed at loosehead after Joe Marler injured an arm, Bevan Rodd was ruled out of the entire Six Nations by a broken toe and Mako Vunipola retired from international rugby.
Bath’s Beno Obano has been playing himself into contention and is likely to be included among the 36 players named by Borthwick on Wednesday morning.
“Beno has been amazing,” said Genge, speaking at the Netflix Six Nations documentary premiere.
“It gives you fire, whether you like it or not. You’d be lying if you said it doesn’t push you to get back fit and prove to the world what you can do.”
Genge’s front-row colleague Jamie George is expected to be named England’s captain for the Six Nations after Owen Farrell ruled himself out of the tournament in order to prioritise his mental wellbeing.
Springboks aiming to have 'two best teams in the world', says Esterhuizen
South Africa centre Andre Esterhuizen said that the Springboks are aiming to have "the two best teams in the world" ahead of their Autumn Nations Series clash against England.
The world champions were pushed all the way by Scotland in their narrow victory at Murrayfield on Sunday, though head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to rotate some key starting positions.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit started on the bench, with the changes a common theme during Erasmus' seven-year tenure.
Their opening Autumn Nations Series victory also put them back on top of the world rankings after Ireland's first defeat in 19 home games by New Zealand on Friday.
"One of the good things is that everyone is getting game time now," Esterhuizen told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"It is also about looking forward, you've got to be able to spare all the guys for the next World Cup and build experience into it.
"The aim is to have the two best teams in the world, all in one squad.
"We want to make it second nature for people slotting in, so if someone steps in, they can just slot in and play the same if not better than the other player."
South Africa next face England, who are yet to pick up a win this autumn, at Twickenham on Saturday.
Steve Borthwick's side suffered a narrow two-point defeat by New Zealand, before conceding an injury-time winning try to Australia on Saturday.
England have now lost each of their last four Test matches, their longest such run since losing five straight games in 2018, but Esterhuizen's former Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith has been impressive for the Red Roses.
"It's a great space, I obviously love to play there," Esterhuizen added. "It will be great to be running at Marcus, not run off him.
"It's going to be a great match, England have played well in the last few games, it's unfortunate that it hasn't been the results that they want. I think it's going to be a big one."
The Springboks have won three of their last four matches against England (L1), including each of their last two. Three of the last five games between England and South Africa have been decided by single-point margins.
England-born Rhea Dixon ready to shine bright for Sunshine Girls in Vitality Netball Horizon Series
To say that Sunshine Girl Rhea Dixon stands ready to make a powerful mark in the highly anticipated four-match Vitality Netball Horizon Series against England, would be a great understatement.
In fact, the England-born goal attack, whose Jamaican roots trace back to her grandparents from St. Elizabeth, is not only brimming with confidence and excitement, but more importantly, feels a renewed sense of purpose heading into the series which she believes represents an incredible opportunity to make Jamaica proud.
Dixon, who had an impactful debut for the Sunshine Girls at last year’s Fast5 Netball World Series, is ready to once again showcase her talent alongside her Sunshine Girls teammates.
England will host the first two games scheduled for November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with Jamaica set to host the last two encounters on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
“I’m very excited to be back with the Sunshine Girls this year. I’m so grateful that this opportunity has come around, and I’m ready to take it with both hands,” Dixon told SportsMax.Tv from the team’s base in Manchester, her enthusiasm unmistakable.
This series, Dixon believes, is a chance to contribute to her team’s success while showcasing the growth and resilience that have defined her journey.
While she admits that her netball journey has had its share of ups and downs, the 27-year-old considers singing the Jamaican national anthem with her teammates one of her proudest moments.
“There have been plenty of highs and lows,” she reflected.
“Winning the last two Netball Superleague championships (with Loughborough Lightning) and being named MVP in the final was a huge accomplishment, but nothing compares to representing Jamaica and sharing that connection with my team,” Dixon declared.
But Dixon also knows well the sacrifices and challenges that come with professional sport, as she has endured setbacks, including a foot injury that saw her miss almost an entire season and also being overlooked by teams early in her career.
Yet, Dixon, who represented England at the Under-21 level before switching allegiance to Jamaica, turned those hardships into fuel for her ambitions.
“Injury and non-selection can feel like huge blows, but they make you stronger. These moments taught me resilience and have shaped who I am as an athlete. I’ve learned to keep pushing and to trust that hard work and dedication always yield results,” she reasoned.
Though new to the longstanding rivalry between the two nations, Dixon is all-in, having been working hard individually over the summer to ensure she’s at peak performance to assist her number four-ranked Sunshine Girls teammates topple the now number two-ranked England and make a move up the rankings.
“I’ve been working on my fitness and mental game throughout the break, so I feel strong both physically and mentally. As a team, we’ve been doing video analysis on England’s recent games to make sure we’re as prepared as possible,” Dixon shared.
“These girls are never less motivated to win. They all want to win and will do whatever it takes to get there. So I really believe that we will come out on top; we have so much knowledge, skill and experience in this group, and they are all winners that will fight until the end,” she noted.
Beyond her ambitions to excel with the Sunshine Girls, Dixon is also focused on her continued development as an athlete.
"I want to keep building my experience with this team, performing consistently on the international stage and bringing what I learn back to my play in England, and hopefully gaining some more silverware in the NSL,” Dixon who recently signed with Nottingham Forest Netball ended.
Springer replaces injured Russell in Windies squad for final leg of England T20Is in Saint Lucia; returning Alzarri Joseph replaces Shamar Joseph
All-rounder Shamar Springer and pacer Alzarri Joseph have been drafted into the West Indies T20I squad ahead of the crucial St. Lucia leg of their “Rivalry” series against England, CWI announced on Tuesday.
Springer replaces Andre Russell who has been ruled out due to a left ankle sprain sustained during the opening T20I at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Bajan recently made his international debut during the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka in October.
The other change sees Alzarri Joseph, having completed his two-match suspension, rejoin the squad in Saint Lucia, replacing Shamar Joseph.
The West Indies currently trail the five-match series 0-2.
The squad for the final three games is as follows:
Remaining Schedule of West Indies vs England T20I Series:
3rd T20 International: 14 November 2024- Daren Sammy Stadium, Saint Lucia
4th T20 International: 16 November 2024- Daren Sammy Stadium, Saint Lucia
5th T20 International: 17 November 2024- Daren Sammy Stadium, Saint Lucia
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