Finn Smith: A calf injury puts the start of the Six Nations in jeopardy

Northampton’s Finn Smith suffers a calf strain that could keep him out of England’s Six Nations opener against Wales on February 7.

The 23-year-old withdrew from the Saints squad to face Bordeaux-Pegles on Sunday and is awaiting the results of an X-ray on the injury.

“We’re still waiting to see how long that will take from a surveying point of view,” Northampton Rugby Director Phil Dawson said.

“It will probably take at least two weeks, but with a muscle injury, it’s difficult to set a timeline beyond that.

“It’s not months and months and he won’t be back this weekend, so somewhere in between.”

England will face Wales in three and a half weeks, and its squad for the Six Nations Championship is scheduled to be announced next week.

After the opening round of matches, England travel to Scotland on February 14 and then face Ireland at Twickenham on February 21 before the Six Nations rest week.

Smith came off the bench in the opening round defeat to Ireland in last year’s competition and was promoted to the starting line-up for the remaining four matches of England’s campaign.

Steve Borthwick’s side finished second in a very encouraging campaign, and Smith won selection for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia over the summer.

However, while Smith endured a disappointing time with the Lions, unable to put pressure on Finn Russell for a Test place, George Ford impressed in England’s Tests against Argentina and the United States.

Ford was favorite during the autumn, starting as a 10-year-old in wins over Australia, New Zealand and Argentina, while Smith, unable to offer the variety of Marcus Smith, was restricted to wins over Fiji and Round 23 sides.

“It’s hard to take,” Smith told BBC Radio Northampton’s Saints Show in December.

“I absolutely loved the great feeling you get when you wear the England No. 10 shirt, to have that shirt taken away from you is painful.”

Frenchman Anthony Bellot, who joined from Clermont Auvergne in the summer, replaced Smith in the defeat to Bordeaux Beagles and has quickly adapted to life with Saints.