We no longer need to talk about Owen!

News that Owen Farrell has had ankle surgery means that the debate about the merits or otherwise of his inclusion as captain in England’s Six Nations squad can be put to bed.

Whatever your view of Farrell, this does mean that the best laid plans of Eddie Jones – which appeared to be geared towards pairing Farrell with Marcus Smith in England’s midfield – will now have to be put on the back burner.

Not ideal preparation, then – especially when you consider that England team have also lost Jonny May to injury, have captain-elect Courtney Lawes unable to train while he undergoes head-injury protocols, have lost Joe Marler from the training squad with another bout of Covid-19, are unlikely to have lock Jonny Hill fit in time for the opening fixture against the Scots and on Tuesday were evacuated from their Brighton hotel following a nearby fire.

Isn’t bad luck supposed to arrive in threes?

Total Flanker – the older I get, the better I was