David Ribbans: England draft uncapped lock into Six Nations squad as Courtney Lawes injury replacement
Eddie Jones has added another uncapped player in David Ribbans to his England Six Nations squad as injury cover.
The South Africa-born Northampton Saints lock will join up with the squad at their training base at The Lensbury in Teddington on Sunday as preparations begin for Saturday’s visit of France to Twickenham.
Ribbans is drafted in as a replacement for versatile Northampton team-mate Courtney Lawes, who missed Saturday’s 40-24 defeat by Wales in Cardiff and has been ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations with a pectoral injury suffered in training.
Last month, uncapped Leicester Tigers lock and back row George Martin was called into the England squad to replace Wasps’ Jack Willis, who has since undergone surgery on a serious left knee injury sustained quickly after coming off the bench to score on his Six Nations debut in the 41-18 win over Italy at Twickenham on February 13.
Martin was included on the bench again Wales with Lawes out and Mark Wilson deputising in the starting XV, but was not handed his senior England debut at the Principality Stadium.
Defending champions England’s Six Nations title hopes appear all but over for 2021 after that loss to Wales and their first home Calcutta Cup defeat by Scotland since 1983, suffered on opening weekend.
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