Underhill an injury doubt for Six Nations

Sam Underhill, an England flanker, is doubtful for the Six Nations because of Bath’s announcement that he needs ankle surgery.

The 28-year-old injured his ankle in Bath’s 35-34 defeat by Premiership champions Northampton on Sunday.

There is no set timeframe for his recovery, according to Bath’s medical update, which states that he will “undergo surgery to correct a new ankle injury.”

Underhill, since his exclusion from England’s original Rugby World Cup squad in 2023, has established himself as a regular in Steve Borthwick’s starting team at open-side flanker.

After the World Cup in 2023, he started every game for England and scored a try in both of his recent defeats to South Africa and Japan in the autumn.

It was an ankle injury which kept Underhill, who has been capped 40 times, out Borthwick’s side’s opening two autumn Tests against New Zealand and Australia.