Steve Borthwick has acknowledged England's prop injury crisis is 'unfortunate and disruptive' but insists his side will 'attack the tournament' in their quest for a first Six Nations title since 2020. With Will Stuart and Asher Opoku-Fordjour out for the championship, and Fin Baxter sidelined, the scrum faces a major challenge.

The situation has forced Borthwick to name two uncapped props in 20-year-old Vilikesa Sela and Emmanuel Iyogun, alongside the inexperienced Trevor Davison. With Dan Cole retired, only Joe Heyes offers significant experience at tighthead. The scrum's importance has grown with recent law changes favouring kick-to-compete tactics, making this crisis particularly disruptive.

Despite the setbacks, Borthwick is optimistic, citing his squad's 'fantastic blend' of experience and youth. England enters the tournament on an 11-Test winning streak, having beaten France, New Zealand, and Australia. The coach believes hungry young players like uncapped No 8 Greg Fisilau will drive standards, and the team is ready to start strongly against Wales on February 7th.