ENGLAND have been hit by the loss of vice-captain Jamie George for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on February 1, with Alex Mitchell also a doubt for the Dublin showdown.

Hooker George suffered a hamstring injury in Saracens’ Champions Cup defeat by Castres on Sunday and will miss the start of the tournament, the Rugby Football Union has confirmed.

Northampton scrum-half Mitchell sustained a knee problem against Munster on Saturday but could yet feature against Ireland after being taken to the squad’s pre-Championship training camp in Girona to continue his rehabilitation.

An attritional weekend of European action has also seen Northampton lock Alex Coles, Leicester scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and Harlequins number eight Alex Dombrandt ruled out of contention for the Lansdowne Road clash.

Elsewhere, Scotland have also suffered a major blow after it was revealed that star centre and captain Sione Tuipulotu will miss the entire Six Nations because of a chest injury.

Tuipulotu is to undergo surgery on the pectoral muscle that was damaged in training for Glasgow Warriors last week and has been ruled out of action until later in the season.

The 27-year-old is clear favourite to claim the number 12 jersey for the British and Irish Lions in Australia this summer so his expected return towards the end of the campaign will come as a relief to the tourists’ head coach Andy Farrell.

Lock Scott Cummings could also be unavailable for the whole Six Nations after he fractured his arm in Glasgow’s 24-7 defeat by Harlequins on Saturday night.

A date for his comeback has not been set with Scotland yet to rule him out of the Championship, which opens against Italy at Murrayfield on February 1.