England Lose Mitchell for Entire Nations Championship After Hamstring Blow

England have been dealt a major blow ahead of the Nations Championship, with scrum-half Alex Mitchell ruled out of the entire block after a hamstring injury. The 29-year-old Northampton half-back was forced off in the first half of his club's 28-14 victory over Gloucester last Saturday, and a scan on Monday confirmed he will miss all of this month's Tests against Australia, Japan and New Zealand, as well as the finals weekend on November 27-29. In response, England have called up Bath's Ben Spencer and Bristol Bears' Harry Randall as scrum-half cover, with Jack van Poortvliet likely to continue in the number nine jersey. There is also a race against time for fly-half Fin Smith, who is battling a calf strain: head coach Steve Borthwick will give him until Wednesday to prove his fitness for Sunday's clash with Australia, with George Ford and Marcus Smith on standby. Mitchell, a 2025 British and Irish Lions tour pick, is the second Saints casualty in the camp after Archie McParland withdrew with a calf injury, leaving England's half-back plans in need of a rapid rethink before the Wallabies visit on Sunday.