Alex Mitchell is in line for an unexpected return to Northampton's matchday squad for this weekend's Premiership final against Exeter. The England scrum-half tore his hamstring during an England training camp last month, but the Saints are now hopeful he will be available for Saturday's finale at Allianz Stadium.
Injury Update and Club Reaction
Mitchell, 29, sustained the injury during a camp in Bagshot, which had threatened to rule him out for the rest of the domestic season. His club director of rugby, Phil Dowson, previously expressed frustration about the injury, suggesting Mitchell would struggle to feature again this season. However, Dowson now says, "There is a chance. We have got to make sure we get the balance right and trust that if Alex does get involved he can do enough minutes to cover us off."
England's Perspective
England head coach Steve Borthwick will also be relieved as he prepares to finalise his squad for this summer's Nations Championship fixtures, starting with a trip to Johannesburg to face the Springboks on 4 July. Phil Morrow, England's head of performance, travelled to Northampton to discuss Mitchell's injury with Dowson. "I guess there's always an emotional bit at the start and then we sit down and see what we can do better," said Morrow. "Unfortunately, in all sports injuries happen and it's frustrating when they do."
Team Mindset
Northampton captain George Furbank has urged his players to avoid playing safe in the final. "We want to go out and just attack this game. Often in finals you can start to play within yourselves and play a bit safe. I don't think we're a good team when we do that," Furbank said.
