England’s Billy Vunipola will be suspended against Argentina

For England coach Steve Borthwick, the days go by. On Tuesday, he knew he could not rely on his fly-half and captain, Owen Farrell, for the first two matches of the World Cup against Argentina and Japan. This Wednesday morning, he woke up to more bad news. Billy Vunipola will also miss the match against Argentina in Marseille on September 9.

After being cautioned against Ireland last Saturday (29-10) with a shoulder on Ireland prop Andrew Porter, the No 8 was questioned on Tuesday before admitting the facts and apologizing. The judges considered this.

For such an act, the suspension usually reaches six matches. It was reduced to three meetings. But the Saracens player could get a little more time with a quick trip to the Tackling School, a sensitive program set up by World Rugby. This will allow them to qualify to challenge Japan for the second match of the Fifteen Roses in France on September 17.

So the powerful third row will not face Fiji on Saturday at Twickenham, the last warm-up match for the Englishmen, and Argentina at the Velodrome. Vunipola, the only true 8 man on the coaching list and starting as a starter, will almost certainly be replaced by his young Saracens team-mate Ben Earl.