England coach Eddie Jones will be without 17 players for Saturday’s match against the Springboks at Twickenham.
Courtney Lawes is the latest player to be added to England’s list of walking wounded, after being sent home from the team’s training camp in Portugal with a back injury.
Lawes, who can double as a flank, will join Chris Robshaw, Sam Simmonds and Billy Vunipola as the senior loose forwards who will miss Saturday’s Test through injury, while Nathan Hughes is still serving a suspension.
Missing England players for Springbok Test:
Courtney Lawes (back)
Nathan Hughes (suspension)
Chris Robshaw (knee)
Sam Simmonds (ACL)
Joe Launchbury (knee)
Mako Vunipola (calf)
Nick Isiekwe (ankle)
Billy Vunipola (broken arm)
Joe Marler (retirement)
Ellis Genge (knee)
Beno Obano (knee)
Matt Mullan (knee)
Jack Willis (knee)
Dan Robson (ankle)
Jonathan Joseph (ankle)
Anthony Watson (Achilles)
Marland Yarde (knee)
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— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) October 29, 2018
Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images