Chandler Cunningham-South: Rugby Star Sidelined for 2 Months Following Controversial Hip-Drop Tackle
- England flanker Chandler Cunningham-South sustained an ankle injury during Harlequins' 28-24 defeat to Sale Sharks on 11 October
- The 23-year-old was caught in a hip-drop tackle by Sale's George Ford, who is also his England international teammate
- Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore confirmed the injury requires surgery, raising doubts over his November availability
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Harlequins flanker Chandler Cunningham-South is set to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for approximately two months after sustaining an ankle injury during his club's 28-24 loss to Sale Sharks on 11 October.
The 23-year-old was hurt late in the match when Sale Sharks and England fly-half George Ford executed a hip-drop tackle on him as he broke through the line. Referee Christophe Ridley initially awarded a penalty for the challenge, but overturned the decision after determining that World Rugby's forthcoming ban on hip-drop tackles does not take effect until 1 November.
Harlequins Confirm Surgery
Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore confirmed the extent of the damage and outlined the recovery timeline. "It's probably a frustrating one; on the linebreak against Sale, he copped a hip-drop tackle from behind," Gilmore said. He added: "He's going in for surgery, and he'll be out for two months."
Gilmore indicated he hopes Cunningham-South can return before the close of the Premiership Rugby season, with a fixture against Leicester Tigers potentially pencilled in as a target for his comeback.
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In his absence, Zach Carr, Lucas Schmid and Seb Driscoll are expected to receive extended opportunities in the back row. Schmid has already drawn favourable attention at number eight, while Driscoll has been building experience in the same position.
England's November Programme Disrupted
The injury compounds selection headaches for England head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of a demanding November schedule. Cunningham-South had already been absent from England's most recent training squad, and his two-month recovery window rules him out of all three autumn internationals.
England are scheduled to face Australia on 8 November, Japan on 14 November, and New Zealand on 21 November as part of the Nations Championship. Cunningham-South's absence also means he will miss the Nations Championship finals, representing a significant loss for a side that had come to rely on him as one of their most physically imposing forwards.
England had previously confirmed that two players would not be available for their latest training camp, and the Cunningham-South update adds further pressure on Borthwick's squad depth at flanker ahead of the busy international window.
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Source: Briefly News
