2023 Six Nations Injuries Update

All the latest news on injured players across all the countries

All eyes are on this year’s Six Nations, which has delivered plenty of on-field entertainment. While we debate whether Ireland can clinch the Grand Slam, team selection and who is in red-hot form, there is the perpetual issue of Six Nations injuries.

Every season players drop out, so here is a rolling update of the major Six Nations injuries for each team.

England

Ollie Chessum is a doubt for the Rugby World Cup as he requires surgery on a dislocated ankle that he suffered in training.

The Leicester Tigers lock was ruled out of the final game against Ireland with the blow but faces a spell of five to six months out and will be in a race against time to prove his fitness for the tournament in France.

Ollie Lawrence is out of England’s final game against Ireland after coming off in the second half of the record 53-10 defeat to France at Twickenham in Round Four with a hamstring injury, forcing Alex Dombrandt to go out to the centres with replacement hooker Jack Walker filling in on the flank.

Injuries have already caused plenty of headaches for Steve Borthwick throughout the championship.

Tom Curry will miss the entire championship after suffering a second hamstring issue.

Ollie Hassell-Collins missed the Wales game due to a knee issue and has only just been recalled to the wider squad after returning to fitness with London Irish.

Former captain Courtney Lawes was unavailable for the first two rounds but remained in camp undergoing rehab work after a calf injury. He made his return off the bench in the win over Wales but has been ruled out of the remainder of the championship with a shoulder injury.

Hooker Jamie George was a doubt for England’s first match due to concussion but came through the return to play protocols to start every game so far.

Henry Slade was ruled out of the side’s opener against Scotland thanks to a hip injury but returned to start the next three games.

Leicester centre Dan Kelly withdrew from the England squad before the first round and looks unlikely to feature in the championship due to a thigh injury he picked up in England training.

Hooker George McGuigan, who recently joined Gloucester from Newcastle, was called up but withdrew shortly after the squad was named with a knee injury.

Elliot Daly was originally announced in the full squad but will miss the whole campaign after being sidelined for 12 weeks due to a hamstring injury suffered in a Champions Cup match against Edinburgh.

Luke Cowan-Dickie has an ankle injury that required surgery and is set to miss the entire tournament.

Related: England Six Nations Fixtures

France

The depth of Fabien Galthié’s squad has also been tested although there is no news of any new injuries following the hammering of England at Twickenham.

Matthieu Jalibert was ruled out in the week of the England game after injuring his ankle in training and was pictured being helped from the field.

Anthony Jelonch passed an HIA against Scotland before tearing his ACL while making a try-saving tackle on Duhan van der Merwe which makes him a doubt for the home World Cup starting on September 8.

Jelonch is set to be out for at least six months and will require surgery.

Jonathan Danty was initially ruled out of action for the duration of the tournament, however he made his return ahead of time by starting the famous victory over England having recovered quicker than was expected from a knee problem.

Cameron Woki is suffering from a fracture in his wrist and remains unavailable.

Gabin Villière is still working through rehab after an ankle problem.

Former skipper Charles Ollivon has returned for the French this championship after an ACL injury, scoring two tries against England.

Peato Mauvaka and Maxime Lucu made their returns to the replacements bench against England in Round Four after injury.

Related: France Six Nations Fixtures

Ireland

Ireland are facing an injury crisis after as many as five players went off injured in the victory over Scotland.

Dan Sheehan left the fray early with a shoulder injury, Iain Henderson was forced off injured and has now had surgery on a fractured forearm while Caelan Doris also had to withdraw with a hip problem.

Sheehan and Doris were passed fit to start against England.

Read more: Ireland Six Nations squad

Sheehan’s replacement Rob Herring then suffered a shoulder blow which saw Cian Healy, a prop, come on to fill in at hooker with Josh van der Flier forced to throw into the lineout.

Centre Garry Ringrose suffered a sickening head blow attempting to tackle Blair Kinghorn and was driven from the field on a stretcher but managed to give a thumbs up to the crowd and the camera. Ringrose will not play any part in the Grand Slam decider against England along with Henderson.

Sheehan, Doris and Herring are all being managed in camp.

Andy Farrell is already missing Tadhg Beirne in the Ireland Six Nations squad for the remainder of the championship after the second row underwent surgery on an ankle problem that is set to keep him out for 12 weeks.

Munster lock Beirne sustained the injury in the thrilling 32-19 Round Two win over France at the Aviva Stadium and was seen in a moon boot and crutches after the game.

Captain and talismanic fly-half Johnny Sexton did not play in Rome after suffering a groin injury against France when prop Uini Atonio – who received a three-week ban for a high tackle on Rob Herring – landed on him.

Prop Tadhg Furlong missed the opening three games with a calf injury before returning in the victory over Scotland in Round Four.

The Lions No 3’s replacement Finlay Bealham had deputised excellently before suffering a knee problem in the first half against Italy and will miss the rest of the championship.

Robbie Henshaw linked up with the Ireland squad in the first week of the campaign and made his return off the bench against Scotland but will start against England after Ringrose was ruled out.

Jamison Gibson-Park and Cian Healy recovered from hamstring problems to enter the fray as replacements against Scotland.

Craig Casey fought off a back problem to make his first Six Nations start against Italy.

Related: Ireland Six Nations Fixtures

Italy

Paolo Garbisi sustained a knee injury which left him out of the initial wider Italy squad, but the fly-half was recalled to the starting line-up for the defeat to Ireland in Round Three before also starting against Wales.

Superstar Ange Capuozzo was ruled out of the remainder of the championship after picking up a shoulder injury against Ireland.

Read more: Italy Six Nations squad

David Sisi had surgery on his ankle in December after pulling up lame for Zebre so will not feature at all.

Toa Halafihi was unavailable for selection after damaging his hamstring against the Azzurri’s win over Australia last autumn.

Related: Italy Six Nations Fixtures

Scotland

Gregor Townsend will be without Finn Russell (knee) and Stuart Hogg (ankle) for Scotland’s final Six Nations match against Italy. It is only the second time in 11 years that the national side have been deprived of the experienced duo for the same Six Nations game.

Richie Gray withdrew after six minutes of the 22-7 defeat to Ireland with a rib injury and is being monitored by the Scotland medics.

Prop Zander Fagerson was declared fit for Scotland’s opener at Twickenham after picking up a hamstring injury for Glasgow last December, however he wasn’t risked until the second-round clash at home to Wales.

Darcy Graham sustained a medial collateral ligament knee injury in December for Edinburgh in the URC and remains unavailable to Gregor Townsend.

Second-row Scott Cummings had been out since October with a foot injury before making his international return off the bench against Ireland.

Related: Scotland Six Nations Fixtures

Wales

Liam Williams and Scott Baldwin have been ruled out of Wales’ final Six Nations clash against France in Paris.

Williams has a shoulder problem while Baldwin suffered a pectoral injury in the win over Italy and has been replaced in a 32-man squad by Ospreys hooker Sam Parry.

Veteran Leigh Halfpenny was chosen to start against Ireland for Wales’ opener but a back spasm two days prior saw him miss out but he returned to the starting XV for the defeat to England.

Speedster Louis Rees-Zammit joined the injury list before the campaign started as he picked up an ankle problem while playing for Gloucester on New Year’s Eve but the winger made a try-scoring return against England and came off the bench in the win over Italy.

Any hopes of an immediate return for Dan Lydiate are dead in the water as the Ospreys flanker has a broken arm.

Related: Wales Six Nations Fixtures

This post will be updated throughout the Six Nations.

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