CHRIS FOY: England injury crisis ahead of autumn internationals paves way for Ellis Genge

England have been plunged into turmoil ahead of the autumn series, with two captains doubtful for the opener against Argentina – at least – and injuries mounting. But Eddie Jones can find silver around a giant cloud.

Courtney Laws won’t be in Jersey for training camp, and Owen Farrell is unlikely to be there either. The Saracens fly-half and skipper was knocked out against Exeter and Sports mail understands that he will not be able to fly, which means he will have to go through his club’s return-to-play protocols.

London Irish winger Henry Arundel will be assessed on Monday after picking up a foot injury on Friday – in a game in which Jonny May suffered a suspected dislocated elbow.

Henry Arundel will be assessed on Monday after suffering a foot injury on Friday

As if that wasn’t enough, Farrell’s failure at Sandy Park was compounded for Jones by Exeter prostitute Luke Cowan-Dickie suffering a knee injury. England are already without Jamie George for their tests against the Pumas, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, so resources are stretched in the middle of the front row.

But the current state of chaos offers opportunities. Jones will consider the imminent recall of Exeter central playmaker Henry Slade, who was left out of the 36-man training squad, knowing he could join Marcus Smith and Manu Tuilagi in a potentially disruptive midfield alliance. He will also consider the captaincy and should approach Ellis Genji.

The Bristol prop has developed into one of the world’s finest loose forwards over the past year. He is just as aggressive, explosive and confrontational, but he has added new layers of late, showing his leadership ability as captain of title-winning Leicester last season. England have talked about the need for a magic attack with the umpires, and Genge will be up to it.

Over the past year, Ellis Genge has turned into one of the world’s greatest slackers

Despite his tough nature, he is an instinctive person with emotional intelligence. Against Argentina, Jones’ side will need to show passion and power, and Genge can set the tone, as he did in Australia when his thunderous dribbling inspired a comeback series win.

Honestly, even if Farrell recovers from the headbutt, Jones should still set up Genge. Leave it to Farrell to do his red-hot motivational routine away from the judges. Leave Mara Itoje as the lone asset in the group and let England’s No.1 wear the armband. Tom Curry has done it and proven he can step in, so now Jones can rate another backup.

It looks decent.

Time to hug the showmen

Rugby needs to shed its gritty culture and allow more richness. It was sad to hear Christian Wade and Danny Cipriani recount how their own head coach sent them off to celebrate at the end of the match.

Usain Bolt carried athletics on his shoulders not only because he was the fastest man, but also because he was a showman that people wanted to see and emulate.

Christian Wade and Danny Cipriani told how they were sent to the celebration

There are characters in rugby who could do that too if they got a licence. Chris Ashton’s elaborate scoring routine became a major talking point as he rose to fame as the wider enjoyment of “Ash Splash” clashed with traditionalist objections to such frivolity.

The establishment is too conservative. Anything short of a formal handshake is frowned upon. Some believe that professionalism should imply rigor. Incorrect. Joy should be encouraged. So, let’s look at the theater weekdays during the autumn internationals. These are images that will be shared on social media and copied by children.

Using high-tech swords might be a smart move

New balls, please. The men’s and women’s Autumn Nations and Six Nations series will see a technological leap forward with the use of smart balls, enabling global software company Sage to deliver an avalanche of immersive game data.

Coaches and spectators will be able to get instant access to information on the speed and length of passes and kicks, the hang time of kicks and the distance to the corner flags of touch finders.

The Autumn Nations series, as well as the men’s and women’s Six Nations, will see a technological leap forward

These details should raise awareness of the player’s skills and create a wider understanding. At a time when rugby needs all the help it can get to improve its box office appeal, this is a positive development.

Hopefully one day this technology will help determine forward passes and whether the ball has been touched down for a try. It is hoped that unions and clubs will soon start promoting the data on big screens in stadiums and on television.

Patience will pay off for the bath

Bath have been talking about progress and now they have proof of it. Their 27-14 home win over Northampton meant it took just seven Premier League games this season to get off the mark, unlike the previous campaign when their first win came after 10 defeats.

They are becoming more resilient under Johan van Graan. Hooker and stand-in captain Tom Dunn was the heart of the revival, Dave Attwood brought influence to the pack and Ollie Lawrence was an astute signing from Worcester.

Tom Dunn has been at the heart of Bath’s revival, which has become more resilient

There is huge backline firepower with the likes of Joe Coconasiga, Ruaridh McConachie, Jonathan Joseph and Cameron Redpath. If long-term losses such as Sam Underhill, Charlie Ewells and Beno Obana are fit, Bath have a powerful squad. Perhaps some kind of reward for their loyal fans is inevitable.

Chris Robshaw has retired from rugby with the best wishes of many in this country and beyond.

A standout memory was when Robshaw led a depleted, tight-knit England side to victory over the All Blacks at Eden Park in 2014, arriving minutes after ending New Zealand’s 20-year winning streak in their Auckland stronghold, on a night , when Robshaw eclipsed the great Richie McCaw.

The former Harlequin was not only a good lad but also a great player. Good luck to him in what will happen next.

Chris Robshaw pictured after winning the Premiership with Harlequins in 2012

The last word

So Finn Russell appears to be out of Scotland’s top three players and has been left out of Gregor Townsend’s autumn Test squad. Really? The Racing 92 wizard fell victim to rugby’s risk-averse mentality.

Apparently, he can no longer be trusted. But this man is the only genius in the generation who entered the top 14. Russell’s long, laser-guided pass to Hugh Jones in the build-up to England at Murrayfield in 2018 was an act of brilliance that went straight into oval-ball folklore.

Unfortunately, Townsend is running out of patience, a sign of selection panic. It was already looking like a formidable campaign, but without Russell they have lost a trump card and the Test game will be duller.