Northampton beat Gloucester 28-14 as Mitchell injury raises England concern

Northampton recovered from a 14-point deficit to beat Gloucester 28-14 at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday, but their bonus-point victory was accompanied by a fresh injury concern for England scrum-half Alex Mitchell. The Guardian reported that Mitchell left the match with a hamstring problem, with the extent of the injury still unclear ahead of England's autumn opener against Australia.

Watch the highlights:

Gloucester established control early through tries from Max Llewellyn and Will Joseph. Llewellyn finished the opening score after eight minutes, following a move in which captain Seb Atkinson created space for George Barton, who supplied the final pass. Atkinson also helped create Joseph's try, releasing him with a pass that allowed the winger to accelerate through and score beneath the posts.

Northampton's response came through their forwards. Tom Pearson and Curtis Langdon each finished a driving maul, bringing the home side level by half-time despite Gloucester's strong start. Those scores began a run of 28 points without reply, as Saints recovered from both the early deficit and the loss of their starting scrum-half to take control of the result.

The decisive second-half breakthrough followed Northampton's decision to kick a penalty to the corner instead of attempting a straightforward shot at goal. George Hendy subsequently crossed on the left to put Saints ahead. Replacement Rory Hutchinson then secured the fourth try and the attacking bonus point. Anthony Belleau converted all four Northampton tries, completing the scoring in a win that lifted Saints to third in the table.

Mitchell had been replaced midway through the first half after being caught by a Gloucester chaser while going back to collect a loose ball. Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson confirmed the hamstring injury but said he did not yet know its severity, according to The Guardian. Mitchell's availability for England therefore remained uncertain; the report did not establish that he would miss the Australia match.

The setback adds to fitness concerns around two other Northampton players in England's plans. Fly-half Fin Smith watched from the stands with a calf injury, while scrum-half Archie McParland missed the matchday squad after suffering a calf problem at England's training camp earlier in the week. Dowson indicated that Smith's issue might be less serious than McParland's, but both still required assessment as attention turned towards the international fixtures.