1
England's Jonny May on brink of remarkable injury return against Argentina
By PA
Jonny May is set to complete a remarkable recovery from a dislocated elbow against Argentina on Sunday after being retained in a reduced squad for the autumn opener at Twickenham.
May was in severe pain after falling awkwardly to the pitch in Gloucester’s victory at London Irish on October 21 and, having been administered oxygen, he was helped from the field with his left arm in a giant brace.
It was initially feared he would play no part in an Autumn Nations Series that also includes fixtures against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, but he is now on the brink of an unlikely early comeback.
Seven backs have been retained in a squad of 25 players to step up preparations for the visit of Michael Cheika’s resurgent Pumas, meaning May will be involved in the matchday 23 unless Eddie Jones opts for a six-two split on the bench.
If he features against Argentina, it will be the latest twist in an eventful year for the 32-year-old wing, who has already battled back from a significant knee problem and a serious dose of Covid that ruled him out of all three Tests against Australia in July.
When asked about May’s ability to return so quickly, attack coach Martin Gleeson said: “He’s Jonny May! That’s what he does! His healing powers are unbelievable. He’s in a good spot.”
Trending on RugbyPass
2
All Blacks XV player ratings vs Munster
3
Suaalii strikes awe as Wallabies lose midfielder
4
Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
5
Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
Go to comments