Vunipola’s England chances suffer blow after four-week ban for dangerous tackle
Mako Vunipola’s hopes of being included in Steve Borthwick’s England squad have suffered a blow after the prop was banned for four weeks following a dangerous tackle.
The Saracens loosehead received a red card in his side’s victory over Newcastle Falcons last week and has been slapped with a four-week ban by the disciplinary committee.
Vunipola will miss Premiership matches against both Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs and will need to sit out his side’s two Investec Champions Cup ties against Bordeaux and Lyon.
While he will be back in time to take part in the Six Nations, which begins next month, the lack of game time in a crucial position for England could put him on the back foot.
Other No1’s in the league who will be in contention for a spot in Borthwick’s squad include Gloucester’s (currently injured) Val Rapava-Ruskin, Bath’s Beno Obano, potential captain contender Ellis Genge and Harlequins’s Joe Marler and Fin Baxter.
England open their Six Nations campaign away to Italy on the first Saturday of February.
They then host Wales at Twickenham Stadium and travel north to Scotland.
In March they take on Ireland in London before concluding their campaign over in France against the pre-tournament favourites.
England had a disappointing first Six Nations campaign under Borthwick with England finishing fourth and have not finished in the top two since 2020, when they won the competition.