Wasps boss Lee Blackett has confirmed that Jack Willis has not ruptured his ACL – as first feared – but is still set for a ‘long time out’.
The Wasps flanker could be heard screaming in agony after he was rolled out of a ruck by an Italian player, twisting his knee in the process.
During his relatively short career, the back-rower has already had to battle back from serious knee and ankle surgery in 2018 after first being named in Eddie Jones’ squad for the South Africa tour.
JACK WILLIS UPDATE:
“It’s really early and I don’t want to go concrete with this but it sounds like he has done quite a few things with his knee,” Blackett revealed to Coventry Live.
“It’s pretty serious. But at this moment in time it looks like he has not done his ACL. He will spend a long time out, I should imagine.
“I’ve only had a couple of text messages with him, as you can imagine, there will be a lot of people messaging him. I think by the sounds of things he is just typical Jack really. He wishes us good luck this morning, the thing that will make him happy is that we get a result and hopefully we’ve done that for him.
“It’s hard to get how he is in terms of a text message. I know Jack, I know how distraught he will be. This happens to professional rugby players. We will be there to support him in any way we possibly can.
“I’d like to go on the record as well, I think England have been fantastic. Richard Hill with me, the doctors, the physios with our club, I’m nothing but grateful to England for how they have contacted us and dealt with this whole situation.”
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LIST: Four possible back-row replacements for injured Jack Willis
1. Sam Simmonds
- Club: Exeter Chiefs
- Age: 26
The European player of the year, who has scored 11 Premiership tries so far this season, should find his way back into Jones’ squad in the near future. He’s been sensational.
