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England remain hopeful that back-row trio Mark Wilson, Tom Curry and Sam Underhill will all be fit to face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.<\/p>\nEngland remain hopeful that back-row trio Mark Wilson, Tom Curry and Sam Underhill will all be fit to face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.<\/p>\n
England want all three available to take on Ireland to offset any need to pitch Billy Vunipola into a third Test in as many weeks.<\/p>\n
Wilson has been carrying a rib complaint, Curry a shoulder concern and Underhll an ankle problem, but all three trained on Wednesday at England\u2019s Pennyhill Park camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose guys trained, trained well, and we\u2019ll continue to monitor them as training progresses,\u201d said forwards coach Steve Borthwick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got tonight and tomorrow morning (Thursday) as well before naming the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis Ludlam is unavailable this weekend, undergoing a week\u2019s active rest as part of the deal between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Premiership clubs.<\/p>\n
The Northampton flanker\u2019s absence increases the need for Wilson, Curry and Underhill to be available, and ease any injury glut for head coach Eddie Jones.<\/p>\n
Worcester hooker Jack Singleton covered back-row in England\u2019s home and away matches against Wales, as boss Jones prepares for the realities and constraints of the 31-man World Cup squad.<\/p>\n
England will hope not to have to be stretched to that extent this weekend however, even in the enforced absence of Ludlam.<\/p>\n
Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes are also further options to slot into the back-row should either lock be required to step out to a loose-forward role.<\/p>\n
Mako Vunipola is expected to feature after recovering from hamstring surgery, with Borthwick admitting the British and Irish Lions prop offers England a significant boost.<\/p>\n
England have rarely been able to field their full-metal jacket power quartet of Mako and Billy Vunipola, Itoje and Manu Tuilagi.<\/p>\n
All four are fit and ready to fire now, though, with Borthwick admitting that group can alter England\u2019s attacking dynamic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want all our players available, and Mako\u2019s a world-class player and we\u2019re very fortunate to have three tremendous players in that position,\u201d said Borthwick.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll those four players are very good, clearly top-class players.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very conscious of the combinations you have together, the players you put together fitting the game plan you want.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that again comes back to the plan we\u2019ve got in building through these four games and into the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n