ENGLAND begin their Six Nations campaign with a tough trip to Scotland.
The Red Rose will be desperate to avenge a shock defeat to the Scots on home soil last year, but they’ll have to do it without captain Owen Farrell.
1
Why isn’t Owen Farrell playing for England against Scotland in the Six Nations?
Owen Farrell will miss out on the match against Scotland after picking up an ankle injury with Saracens.
This injury has occurred on the opposite ankle to the one that he injured during the Autumn International win over Australia.
However, he was forced to undergo surgery and therefore will miss this match.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
When will Owen Farrell return?
Owen Farrell faces eight to ten weeks of rehabilitation following his surgery last week.
And Eddie Jones claims he will miss the entirety of the Six Nations.
The England head coach said: “Owen is out of the Six Nations. It’s a massive blow for him personally and for the team it’s a blow.
“But it’s obviously an opportunity for other guys to step up into leadership roles and for other players to play for that 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.”
Who is the new England Six Nations captain?
Courtney Lawes was pencilled in to captain England in the Six Nations, as he did in the win over South Africa.
But Lawes is yet to complete concussion recovery protocol and will therefore miss this Calcutta Cup match.
Tom Curry will captain England for the first time at Murrayfield, with Lawes expected to return for next week’s game in Italy.