Lawes Out For England

England have been hit by the news Courtney Lawes has been ruled out of the remainder of the Six Nations with a calf injury.

The 30-year-old lock suffered the injury during England’s 21-13 defeat against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and had to be replaced in the closing stages of the match.

The Northampton Saints star underwent scans on Sunday, which revealed he is facing four weeks on the sidelines, so he will return to his club to undergo rehabilitation.

In a statement, the RFU said: “Courtney Lawes [Northampton Saints] will miss the rest of the Six Nations due to a calf strain sustained yesterday [Saturday] in Cardiff.

“Following the results of his scan this [Sunday] afternoon, Lawes is expected to be out for a minimum of four weeks. He will return to his club for rehabilitation.”

England’s next match is at home to Italy on March 9, as they now sit in second place behind Wales following Saturday’s defeat.