England's Joe Launchbury a doubt for first Test against South Africa with calf injury
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Tuesday 5 June 2018 22:33, UK
England lock Joe Launchbury is a fitness doubt for Saturday's first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
The Wasps captain had been expected to start the series opener at Ellis Park in the second row alongside Maro Itoje - but was unable to practice with his team-mates on Tuesday.
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England scrum coach Neal Hatley said: "He's got a bit of a calf niggle.
"It's difficult to say where we are at the moment.
"He's trained and done a full session by himself, we will monitor that as it goes."
Sam Simmonds, the Exeter number eight, also trained alone at Kings Park in order to perform sprints - while watched by a member of England's medical team - before joining his team-mates.
Brad Shields was present for the morning session that took place down the road from the squad's Umhlanga camp.
The Hurricanes captain and blindside flanker has flown from New Zealand to link up with England for the first time, after being included in Eddie Jones' squad for the three-Test series against the Springboks.
And key man Billy Vunipola took a full part in the session after playing through Saracens' successful Aviva Premiership play-off campaign with a persistent hamstring problem.
