England scrum-half Alex Mitchell has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 Six Nations championship due to a hamstring injury. Mitchell sustained the injury during England's 42-21 defeat to Ireland last weekend and will miss upcoming matches against Italy and France. Head coach Steve Borthwick confirmed that Mitchell would be sidelined for several weeks, leaving England at a "crossroads" in the tournament. 

As the championship enters a one-week break, France holds a commanding four-point lead at the top of the table after a convincing 33-8 win over Italy. France is currently the only team still capable of winning a Grand Slam this year. Scotland sits in second place with 11 points, followed by Ireland with nine points as they look to launch a late challenge for the title. 

Wales, meanwhile, remains at the bottom of the table after a string of losses. They have their own injury concerns, with flanker Taine Plumtree ruled out of the tournament, though there is still a slim hope that fly-half Sam Costelow could return for the final match against Italy. The competition resumes on March 6 and 7 for the final two rounds.