England have been dealt another injury setback after Alex Mitchell was ruled out of next weekend's Nations Championship clash against Argentina with a hamstring injury.
The scrum-half suffered the setback during England's emphatic 73-8 victory over Fiji at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Mitchell came off the bench to replace Jack van Poortvliet in the second half, but his afternoon lasted just nine minutes before he pulled up and was forced to leave the field.
It continues a frustrating season for the British & Irish Lions scrum-half, who has already battled two separate hamstring injuries. One of those ruled him out of England's Six Nations campaign, and he will now miss the final match of the July tour in Santiago del Estero.
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Steve Borthwick delivers update
Speaking after the match, England head coach Steve Borthwick admitted it was too early to determine the full extent of the injury but confirmed Mitchell is not expected to feature against Argentina.
"I don't know at this stage whether it's a recurrence of the hamstring injury he's had a couple of times already this season, nor can I confirm the length at this early stage of how long he's going to be absent for, but it looks like he won't be able to be part of next week."
Marcus Smith shines at scrum-half
Mitchell's injury created another problem for England after Van Poortvliet had already been replaced, forcing Marcus Smith to switch from full-back to scrum-half.
Despite never having trained in the position with England, Smith adapted impressively as England ran in 11 tries to complete a dominant victory over Fiji.
Borthwick was full of praise for the Harlequins playmaker.
"Marcus did a brilliant job stepping in at nine like that. He was super.
"Marcus played really physically in contact, in the tackle, and was so alive to the off-load. He made a lot of good things happen for the team."
England will now assess Mitchell's recovery, but attention immediately turns to finding the right scrum-half combination for next weekend's trip to Argentina.
Nations Championship team of the week: Round 2
Will Jordan made history with a hat-trick in Wellington to become the All Blacks' all-time leading Test try-scorer, Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang enjoyed a dream France debut with two tries and Henry Pollock stole the headlines by coming off the bench to score a sensational second-half hat-trick for England.
Back-three
15. Matthieu Jalibert (France)
Constantly challenged the Australian defence with his creativity and willingness to attack from deep. Combined superbly with Romain Ntamack and was central to France's second-half dominance.
14. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
A place in the Team of the Week was almost guaranteed after a record-breaking afternoon in Wellington. Jordan's second-half hat-trick saw him become the All Blacks' all-time leading Test try-scorer, taking his tally past Doug Howlett.
While he made a couple of early mistakes under the high ball, his clinical finishing and ability to deliver when it mattered made him the standout player of the match.
11. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (France)
A dream debut. The Olympic gold medallist announced himself on the Test stage with two superb tries, looked dangerous under the high ball and showed blistering pace throughout. A debut to remember.
Centres
13. Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
A complete midfield performance. Barrett was outstanding defensively with his rush defence, while also producing two key attacking moments: the grubber that created Will Jordan's first try and the long pass that sent him over for his hat-trick.
12. Damian Willemse (South Africa)
It was always going to be difficult to match the sensational display he produced against England a week ago, particularly after shifting from full-back into the midfield, but he barely missed a beat.
Carried with real intent and consistently got his side over the gain-line despite heavy traffic, while also standing up well defensively against the dangerous Sione Tuipulotu.
Rounded off another classy performance by slicing through off a clever Grant Williams switch to score a superb try.
Half-backs
10. Fin Smith (England)
Played with confidence and attacking intent against Fiji, using smart kicking to create chances, most notably with dangerous crossfield kicks to Tommy Freeman and a fortunate kick that rebounded off the post into Marcus Smith's hands for the opener.
Defended well with a strong tackle on Kalaveti Ravouvou, showed good intensity throughout and, while his goal-kicking was not flawless, it was solid overall. Rightfully named Player of the Match.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Fin Smith of England successfully kicks a conversion, after Marcus Smith of England (not pictured) scored their team's first try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger - Nations Championship/Getty Images)
9. Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
The standout scrum-half of the weekend. Roigard dictated the tempo from start to finish, keeping New Zealand's attack moving even when Italy frustrated them for long spells.
His crisp service and quick decision-making were at the heart of almost everything the All Blacks did well.
Front-row
1. Ellis Genge (England)
England's scrum was absolutely dominant and Genge was a key part of setting the platform early on, pushing the first few scrums backwards and winning a couple of penalties in the process.
Although he did not do much around the field, he can also be credited with helping to earn a red card after Simione Kuruvoli kicked him in the chest.
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Australia)
Thrown into the action almost immediately after Josh Nasser's HIA, the replacement hooker responded brilliantly. He scored a try, worked tirelessly around the park and produced an impressive display over 77 minutes.
3. Joe Heyes (England)
Another England prop who deserves huge credit for bringing power at the scrum. Heyes was completely dominant and always looked in control.
He can be forgiven for not being heavily involved around the park, such was his dominance in the fundamentals of his position.
Second-row
4. Sam Darry (New Zealand)
Another immense display from the lock, who continues to establish himself as one of the first names on Dave Rennie's teamsheet.
Darry crashed over for a try, dominated collisions and was relentless in his work at the breakdown and around the park.
5. Ruan Nortje (South Africa)
A tireless display from the Springbok lock. Nortje disrupted Scotland's lineout, stole crucial possession and was relentless in the tight exchanges. His stunning one-handed pick-up, break and audacious chip ahead early in the second half was one of the moments of the match, underlining a performance full of work-rate and quality.
Back-row
6. Lenni Nouchi (France)
A phenomenal all-round display from the Montpellier captain. Nouchi carried relentlessly, making 17 carries for 57 metres, beating defenders and offloading brilliantly, while still finding time for 14 tackles.
The 22-year-old was the driving force behind France's second-half comeback.
7. Henry Pollock (England)
Made an instant impact off the bench, scoring moments after coming on before adding a second with outstanding pace.
He brought energy and attacking spark, stretching Fiji's defence every time he got involved. Pollock secured his hat-trick seconds before the final whistle, underlining just how devastating he can be in broken play.
He has surely earned himself a start against Argentina next week.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Henry Pollock of England (L) celebrates after scoring their team's tenth try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by George Wood - Nations Championship/Getty Images)
8. Sean Jansen (Ireland)
The New Zealand-born back-rower enjoyed the debut of dreams for Ireland. He started with a thumping tackle on Main Taira before producing a series of thunderous carries that repeatedly got Ireland over the gain-line.
Jansen also showcased impressive pace in support of Nick Timoney and continued to impress after the break with several strong carries before powering over from close range to score on his Test debut and cap a memorable first international appearance.
Quiz: Name the Top 10 Highest Points Scorers in Rugby History
Scoring points at Test level is one of rugby’s toughest challenges. It takes consistency, longevity and the ability to deliver under pressure against the very best teams in the world.
You have three minutes to name the top 10 highest points scorers in men’s international rugby union history. How many can you get?
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