Jones worried about Lawes’ health with player likely to be out until Six Nations

Lawes last played in September due to an ongoing head injury

CONCERN: Courtney Lawes.

Eddie Jones has admitted he is worried about Courtney Lawes’s health due to an ongoing head injury and does not expect to see the Northampton flanker return to the England fold before next year’s Six Nations.

Lawes has not played for Northampton since sustaining a head injury on 24 September and though he was named in the initial England training squad last month, he withdrew after suffering a setback. The 33-year-old was left out of England’s squad to prepare to face Japan on Saturday, having missed Sunday’s defeat by Argentina, with Northampton confirming he remains at the same stage of the return-to-play head injury protocols.