Rugby-England's George out of Ireland game, Mitchell a doubt
RUGBY-UNION-NATIONS:Rugby-England's George out of Ireland game, Mitchell a doubt
ROME - Jamie George, replaced as England captain by Maro Itoje last week, has been ruled out of their Six Nations opener against Ireland, with scrumhalf Alex Mitchell also a doubt after the squad was hit by a raft of injuries.

Jack van Poortvliet is also out and coach Steve Borthwick has brought in scrumhalves Ben Spencer and Raffi Quirke.
Alex Coles and Alex Dombrandt completed the sick list, with hooker Curtis Langdon, lock Arthur Clark and Northampton's exciting 20-year-old flanker Henry Pollock called into the squad.
Mitchell, who missed the November internationals, had been expected to start the Feb. 1 opener in Dublin but that seems unlikely after the RFU said on Tuesday he will travel with the squad to their training camp in Girona to continue his rehabilitation.
Borthwick also has a decision to make at flyhalf.
Northampton's Finn Smith is making a strong case for inclusion, despite Marcus Smith being England's only really creative force in their November games, but also being criticised for failing to get England's midfield engaged enough.
Borthwick has moved Marcus Smith to fullback previously, both as a starter and during matches.
"If you look at the way Marcus gets that ball and skips out to the next player, you have all seen it, Finn Smith, he attacks in a different way," Borthwick told reporters at the Six Nations launch in Rome on Tuesday.
"That means there is a change for everybody that plays outside them. Where you start positioning in the running line naturally changes because their end point changes, and that's just two, because George Ford is slightly different as well.
"At club level when you have played 100 games next to each other, it's instinctive, international rugby is different. So we're looking at all kinds of ways in which we can get players to understand each other quicker and more effectively."
After facing Ireland, England host France, Scotland and Italy to Twickenham before finishing away to Wales on March 15.
Their recent record in the championship is poor and since winning the 2020 title under Eddie Jones their finishing positions have been fifth, third, fourth and third, with nine wins from 20 games.
It was announced on Tuesday that Jones will be a TV pundit for England's matches on ITV.
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