Owen Farrell: England captain tests positive for Covid ahead of Tonga match

Farrell is currently in isolation and will be re-tested on Friday

England have been rocked by the news that captain Owen Farrell has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of tomorrow’s first Autumn International against Tonga.

Farrell, who was named No 10 in Eddie Jones’s starting line-up, has not yet been definitively ruled out of the match and will undergo further testing this afternoon, however, his participation is in serious jeopardy.

A statement released by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) confirmed that all other players and staff in the squad have returned negative PCR and lateral flow tests.

England are already thin at fly-half after Marcus Smith suffered a leg injury in the build-up to tomorrow’s Test. Smith was instead named on the bench with George Furbank the only other option at No 10.

The RFU confirmed that training for the rest of the squad will go ahead as planned, but the news will unavoidably cause major disruption to England’s preparations as they await confirmation of Farrell’s subsequent tests.