England were coming to terms with a day of grim injury updates after Luke Cowan-Dickie and Anthony Watson were ruled out of the entire Autumn Nations Series.

Cowan-Dickie has fallen to the ankle problem sustained in Exeter’s victory at Wasps on Saturday and has been replaced in Eddie Jones’ 34-man squad for the Tests against Tonga, Australia and South Africa by Jamie George.

And, in another seismic blow to England, the PA news agency understands that Watson will also miss the autumn, and potentially the Six Nations as well if the knee damage sustained late in Bath’s home rout by Saracens is confirmed as a ruptured ACL.

The only ray of light in an otherwise bleak afternoon was that Maro Itoje’s shoulder injury, which also incurred at the Recreation Ground on Sunday, is not serious.

As such, Itoje should be available to face Tonga at Twickenham on 6 November.