- Reuters
England's Nowell suffers fresh injury setback
Nowell, 27, has not played this season after undergoing toe surgery, with his last appearance coming in Exeter's 19-13 victory against the Wasps in October's Premiership final. "We held Jack back for a week to give him a couple of weeks of full training, and unfortunately in the second week, he pulled up with another injury and now we're going to have to wait a little longer until we get him back to full fitness." Nowell, who was a part of the British & Lions squad that toured New Zealand in 2017, has not played for England since the 2019 World Cup.
The TelegraphExclusive: Warren Gatland wants most formidable coaching line-up in Lions history
Warren Gatland plans on assembling the most formidable coaching line-up witnessed in British and Irish Lions history featuring Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, Ireland boss Andy Farrell and England’s defensive guru John Mitchell. All three are likely to be invited onboard for the summer’s series against South Africa, with the Scottish Rugby Union clearing the way for Townsend to take his place on the coaching team after missing out on the 2017 tour of New Zealand, and while uncertainty about the location of this year’s series against the Springboks remains, both Farrell and Mitchell are being lined up should they get permission from their respective unions. Given Gatland’s preference for continuity and the unique challenges of the Lions environment, Steve Borthwick, the Leicester head coach, Graham Rowntree, the Munster forwards coach and Wales skills coach Neil Jenkins are also set to make up Gatland’s backroom team. Confirmation of the coaching line-up has been delayed because of the ongoing uncertainty of the tour due to the global pandemic, which could yet force Gatland to pick between either Farrell or Mitchell depending on how the next few weeks play out, and the decision about whether or not the tour proceeds as planned, is relocated to Australia or played in the UK and Ireland could also have an impact on the line-up. Lions watch: Will Greenwood picks his starting XV after Six Nations round three But it is understood that Townsend is to be offered a key role in Gatland’s coaching team as an assistant coach with responsibility for the team’s attacking play. The 47-year-old, who guided Scotland to their first win against England at Twickenham since 1983 last month, will become the first Scottish coach to be involved with the Lions management since Sir Ian McGeechan was head coach of the tour to South Africa in 2009. Townsend, who played in two Tests for the Lions on the historic tour victory over the Springboks in 1997, had been due to take up a place on Gatland’s coaching team for the tour of New Zealand four years ago only to withdraw because of his commitments with the national team. At the time he had only just been appointed to succeed Vern Cotter as Scotland head coach. Lions Tour 2021 fixtures in South Africa: Match dates, times and TV schedule Mark Dodson, the SRU chief executive, confirmed however that this time Townsend will be encouraged to accept any offer from Gatland. “If Gregor Townsend was asked to go we would not stand in his way,” said Mark Dodson, the SRU chief executive, told Telegraph Sport. “We would be very happy for him to go. “We think it will add to Gregor’s knowledge and be another arrow in his quiver. Coaching the most outstanding players in the UK and Ireland can only do him good. “I may be a bit biased because he is somebody that I believe in but I think he can be one of the great coaches of the generation. I think he has the ability to inspire people and out-think other coaches, there is no doubt about that.” If Gatland gets his team, it will be one of the most experienced the Lions have assembled, at least since 2005 when Sir Clive Woodward included the then England and Ireland head coaches Andy Robinson and Eddie O’Sullivan along with McGeechan and Gareth Jenkins, Mike Ford and Phil Larder.
The GuardianMPs to consider evidence between head trauma in sport and dementia
MPs to consider evidence between head trauma in sport and dementiaDCMS committee to hold two sessions Move follows increased scrutiny of rugby union England’s Steve Thompson, pictured in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, told the Guardian last December he had early onset dementia. Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA
