England lose Pepper and van Rensburg for autumn — The Guardian

England's rugby team have lost Bath flanker Guy Pepper and Bristol centre Benhard van Rensburg for the entire autumn period. Head coach Steve Borthwick is also awaiting information on the condition of first-choice fly-half Fin Smith, who is recovering from a calf injury.

As The Guardian reports, Pepper suffered an ankle injury in the match against Gloucester last Friday and will be out for several weeks. Van Rensburg has also been advised to rest and recover after two serious concussions over the past three months.

Uncertainty over Smith

Fin Smith sustained a calf injury in the game against Leicester. Borthwick said it is still unclear whether the Northampton player will be able to play against Australia next week. The coach plans to name the squad for Sunday's match around Wednesday, but noted that he has other quality fly-halves at his disposal — George Ford and Marcus Smith.

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Another Bath player, hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, left training in Bagshot due to a leg injury. Its severity is to be assessed by doctors. Meanwhile, Seb Atkinson, who had been recovering from knee problems, and Manny Feyi-Waboso, who has a hamstring injury, are expected to be able to play this weekend for Gloucester and Exeter respectively.

Club matches before the game against Australia

Under an agreement between the Rugby Football Union and the clubs, teams can use national team players after receiving permission from England's medical staff. Borthwick noted that he is concerned about the condition of his players during domestic championship matches, as the national team has less time to prepare due to the inclusion of the Nations Championship finals weekend in the calendar.

The World Cup will take place next year, and England have nine Test matches left before the final stage of their preparations for the tournament. Borthwick called the autumn series the last opportunity to play opponents from the Southern Hemisphere before the World Cup.