LONDON (AP) — England captain Owen Farrell will miss the entire Six Nations rugby tournament because of injury, coach Eddie Jones said Wednesday.
Farrell hurt his ankle in training with his club, Saracens, last week and requires surgery.
Saracens said he will be out for up to 10 weeks.
“Owen is out of the Six Nations. It’s a massive blow for him personally and for the team it’s a blow,” Jones said at the tournament launch. “But it’s obviously an opportunity for other guys to step up into leadership roles and for other players to play for that No. 12 jumper.
“We see it more as an opportunity. In today’s rugby, having your best team on the field is a rare occurrence. We’re pretty used to it. There’s an opportunity there to build a bit more leadership depth.”
The Six Nations starts on Feb. 5, with England opening away to Scotland.
Farrell was back in training on his return from another ankle injury that had kept him out for two months.
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