Saracens prop Mako Vunipola has revealed the full story after he was banned by England’s medical staff from facing Wales at Twickenham
Vunipola said: “Eddie messaged me about it and apologised for the medical stuff and I understand it. The rest of the Six Nations is a bit up in the air.
“We were in Hong Kong on the way there and the way back for about three hours each time. I didn’t excpect what happened but I can understand it and if I thought about my travel more I may have gone a different route to Tonga.
Mako Vunipola will miss England's Six Nations match with Wales on Saturday as he is self-isolating as a Coronavirus precaution after returning to England from Tonga via Hong Kong.https://t.co/DqNWaFeMFC
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 3, 2020
“It is what it is and I understand why England did it and I can’t really change their mind. I was a bit gutted when they told me and the boys did a good job against Ireland and it would have been hard to get into the team anyway. I love to play for my country and I was lucky the club let me come back in.
“It was a bit hard to get my head around it and they made the call and didn’t want to risk anything. I was disappointed because you want to play but I had to understand the situation they were in and for me it was nice to be able to play for the club and get out there. “
LIST: Players Who Have Represented England & Wales:
A rivalry as old as the game itself – but a few players have crossed the divide down the years.
1. Ross Moriarty
The hulking back-rower, whose father is former Wales international Paul Moriarty, initially played for England at both U18 and U20 level, winning the IRB Junior World Championship in 2014. However, he has since made his full international debut for Wales and has since won 25 caps while also representing the British & Irish Lions during their tour of New Zealand in 2017.
