Rugby-England number eight Simmonds a doubt for Australia tour

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union – Six Nations Championship – England Training – Twickenham Stadium, London, Britain – March 11, 2022 England’s Sam Simmonds during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

(Reuters) – England number eight Sam Simmonds could miss their tour of Australia in July due to an issue with his hip and groin, with his Premiership club Exeter Chiefs awaiting further assessments to determine the best course of treatment.

Exeter director Rob Baxter said Simmonds would meet with specialists to discuss the injury, which ruled the 27-year-old out of last weekend’s Champions Cup defeat away to Munster.

Simmonds featured in all five of England’s Six Nations matches this campaign. England are due to play three tests against Australia, starting in Perth on July 2.

“We are still monitoring it,” Baxter told British media. “There are some treatment options, a lot more is going to be known this week. It doesn’t necessarily need to be season over for him but we just need to assess everything correctly.

“Without him getting all the consultants’ feedback, it’s at what level they think any intervention is required at this stage.

“So I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for England and I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for us at the end of the season because I don’t think it is as simple a prognosis as that.”

England swept the Wallabies 3-0 on their last tour of Australia in 2016.

(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)