England No.9 Jack van Poortvliet to miss World Cup

By Phil BlanchePress Association
Camera IconEngland's Jack van Poortvliet will miss the Rugby World Cup after sustaining an ankle injury. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AP

England No.9 Jack van Poortvliet will miss the World Cup to undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained against Wales.

The 22-year-old Leicester back was forced off in the first half of the 19-17 Twickenham win and has been replaced in Steve Borthwick's 33-man World Cup squad by Northampton's Alex Mitchell.

England head coach Steve Borthwick said: "It's really bad luck for Jack and we send him our very best wishes for a swift and successful recovery."

Mitchell joins Ben Youngs and Danny Care as Borthwick's scrum-half options for the World Cup in France next month.

The 26-year-old was unfortunate to miss out on the original squad after making four impactful replacement appearances during the 2023 Six Nations Championship, injecting energy and tempo into England's play.

England continue their World Cup build-up against Ireland at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

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