England boss Steve Borthwick facing ANOTHER selection headache after star’s injury as Northampton Saints show their credentials in win over Gloucester, writes ALEX BYWATER

England head coach Steve Borthwick is facing up to a scrum-half headache for his team’s autumn opener with Australia after Alex Mitchell suffered his fourth hamstring injury this year.

Mitchell limped off with his latest leg problem in the first half of Northampton’s home bonus-point victory over Gloucester – a result which dethroned the visitors as PREM leaders.

Last week, Mitchell and his Saints and England colleague Archie McParland were two of the three No 9’s in training with the national squad ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Wallabies. McParland also missed the Gloucester success with a calf issue which he suffered in England camp. That leaves only Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet left standing as a fit and firing scrum-half, meaning Borthwick is likely to make calls to Bath’s Ben Spencer or Bristol’s Harry Randall.

Northampton and England fly-half Fin Smith also missed this game with a calf issue and remains touch and go for Australia. Guy Pepper and Benhard Janse van Rensburg have already been ruled out of England’s whole autumn campaign, while Bath hooker Kepu Tuipulotu is also a concern.

‘Fin probably looks better than Archie,’ said Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson. ‘But it remains to be seen. I haven’t seen Archie do much movement, whereas Fin has been doing a few bits. Alex has hurt his hamstring, but I don’t know how bad. We have to be super careful with him as he knows his own body.’

Prior to entering the field, Gloucester’s promising young prop Afo Fasogbon paused and raised his hands to the heavens in prayer. But on the evidence of this season so far – and even in defeat here – the Cherry and Whites don’t have to rely on divine intervention to win. 

There was good news for Borthwick as Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson produced a solid display

By combining defensive solidarity with physicality and attacking panache, they outplayed Saints at their own game in the first half. And yet it still wasn’t enough. 

Without Smith and Henry Pollock on the bench, Northampton never got going before the break. Gloucester scored brilliant tries through Max Llewellyn and Will Joseph, whose scintillating form makes him a dark horse for selection by Borthwick this weekend. 

George Barton did brilliantly to send Llewellyn over and when Joseph’s try made it 14-0, rare boos rang out from the Northampton supporters. The fact Dowson’s men had been strangled owed much to Gloucester’s excellence, as well as conditions. But Tom Pearson’s close-range effort and a Curtis Langdon maul try meant that despite them being battered for most of the half, Northampton went in level. 

In the second period, Dowson’s side showed just why they have won two of the past three PREM titles. They displayed their champion credentials in the face of adversity, as all top teams have the ability to do. Gloucester introduced powerhouse Jac Morgan.

But Saints were brave, turning down a kickable penalty to cross through George Hendy and then replacement Rory Hutchinson as they scored 28 unanswered points. 

Gloucester’s England centre Seb Atkinson impressed in defeat in good news for Borthwick. ‘It’s been a positive start and we’re in a good spot, but we’re not quite good enough to beat Saints yet,’ said Gloucester head coach George Skivinton. ‘We needed to come into half time leading, but we missed some opportunities. In the second half, Saints’ defence was outstanding.’ 

Atkinson, meanwhile, declared himself fit for England duty after a slight knee problem but said his Gloucester side had ‘shot themselves in the foot’ with the concession of penalties before half time which gave Northampton field position to score through their forwards.

Dowson, meanwhile, hailed his team’s maul defence which kept them in the game in the first 40 before they found their feet in the second. ‘Our game relies on balance,’ he said. ‘To pull out that result after being under pressure was pleasing.’