Alex Mitchell to miss the rest of the season with Northampton and emerges as England summer doubt with second hamstring injury this year

Alex Mitchell will miss the rest of the season with Northampton and is a doubt to start England’s Nations Championship campaign after suffering a serious hamstring injury. 

Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said it was ‘frustrating’ to lose Mitchell – who is the No 1 scrum-half for his club and country – while at an international ‘alignment camp’ last week. 

As the current leaders of PREM Rugby and with a play-off berth already secured, Northampton are in a good position to regain the league title they won in 2024. 

But their chances of doing so won’t be helped by being without Mitchell, 29. 

It is the second hamstring problem Mitchell has had this year having also been diagnosed with the same problem, albeit on a different leg, during England’s Six Nations defeat by Ireland. 

‘He’s pulled it and he’s done a decent job on it,’ Dowson said of Mitchell. 

It means Mitchell will miss the rest of his club’s season and possibly England’s summer too

‘It’s going to be a push to get him any rugby for us for the rest of the season. 

‘It is frustrating. It’s disappointing. No doubt. He’s been very, very good but we focus now on what we do have and what they’re going to bring to the table.’ 

Archie McParland, who has been in fine form for Northampton this season and was called up by England last week, will now takeover as Dowson’s first-choice No 9. 

England Nations Championship opener is against double world champions South Africa on July 4. 

National coach Steve Borthwick is understood to not have ruled Mitchell out of that game yet but should he not be fit, it is likely Bath captain Ben Spencer would be in pole position to start instead.