Vunipola was ruled out of England’s 33-man World Cup squad with a back injury.
Fellow loosehead Barrington, who won four Premierships and four Champions Cup titles alongside Vunipola with Saracens before leaving for Agen, says Vunipola’s absence will hurt but is pleased to see Joe Marler recalled.
“Mako’s going to be a massive miss,” Barrington said. “He demands standards on and off the field and for a senior player like him it’s unfortunate. He’s had an unlucky run with injuries throughout his career, missing finals. He missed the Premiership final just gone through injury, he missed the 2014 final and the 2019 final.
“Joe is similar in demanding standards but England will have been desperate to have had Mako out there.”
England have finished outside the top two in the last three Six Nations and failed to impress against Wales last weekend. Nevertheless, Barrington believes England still have useful front row options and says it’s vital that the squad put their poor form behind them.
He said: “They’ve got a great core of players. The Six Nations wasn’t ideal and a few of the international games didn’t go to plan but now they’ve got the team announced, the boys will be more relaxed as I know they are trying to make it a team environment. Hopefully big Billy (Vunipola) can get back firing after his injury and they can get some gain line ball from him, and then they’ve got some dangerous backs.”
Esta historia es de la edición August 13, 2023 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 13, 2023 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.